1. The picture is a powerful image of the devotional outlook of the Legion.
2. The original Legion picture was painted by a brilliant young Dublin artist as an offering to the Legion. As might be expected from work animated by this spirit, the picture is one of extreme beauty and inspiration.
3. The legionary prayers are made visible. The invocation and prayer of the Holy Spirit and the Rosary are pictured by the Dove overshadowing Mary, filling her with light and the fire of his love. In these prayers the Legion honours the moment which is the centre-point of all time. Mary's consent to the Incarnation, making her both Mother of God and Mother of Divine Grace. There is also allusion to Pentecost, where Mary was the channel of that other outpouring of the Holy Spirit which may be called the birth of the Church.
4. The Catena is represented, as to its name, by the chain-border. The antiphon “Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?” is the portrayal of Mary. On her brow she bears a brilliant star, to mark her who is the true Morning Star, heralding the dawn of salvation.
5. The Magnificat is represented by its opening verse, set in letters of fire above her head. The versicle and response are those of the Immaculate Conception, a primary devotion of the Legion, which is expressed in the crushing of the serpent.
6. The words set in the border: Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem et semen tuum et semen illius; ipsum conteret caput tuum. "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head." (Gen 3:15) have the same reference. The picture shows this undying warfare: Mary and the serpent; her children and the serpent's offspring; the Legion and the powers of evil, which fall back scattered in defeat.
7. At the top of the picture is the Holy Spirit the giver of all good gifts: below, the globe surrounded by the good and the bad, typifying the world of souls: between the two, Mary full of grace, all aflame with charity, the universal channel of intercession and distribution.
8. The words in the border: Mulier, ecce filius tuus: . . . Ecce mater tua. "Woman, here is your son . . . Here is your mother." (Jn 19:26-27) point to Mary’s spiritual maternity of those who like St. John have lovingly accepted her as mother.
9. The concluding prayers are mirrored in every line of the picture. The Legion is depicted as a host innumerable, advancing in battle-array under the leadership of its Queen and bearing her standards, "the crucifix in their right hands, the Rosary in their left, the sacred names of Jesus and Mary in their hearts and the modesty and mortification of Jesus Christ in their behaviour" (St. Louis-Marie de Montfort). Their faith is represented by the Pillar of Fire which melts all legionary hearts into one, and guides them on to victory and to the Land of Eternal Promise. The pillar is Mary who saved the world by her faith "Blessed is she who believed." Beata quae credidit (Lk 1:45) in the border and who now, through encircling gloom, leads on unerringly those who call her blessed, until the everlasting splendour of the Lord God come upon them.

"In the Old Testament we read that the Lord conducted his people from Egypt to the land of promise, 'by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire.' (Ex 13:21) This stupendous pillar, at one time of cloud and at another of fire, was a figure of Mary and of the various offices which she performs on our behalf." (St. Alphonsus Liguori)

Opening Prayers

(Make the Sign of the Cross)
In the name of the Father, etc.

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
v. Send forth Your Spirit, O Lord, and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

God our Father, pour out the gifts of Your Holy Spirit on the world. You sent the Spirit on Your Church to begin the teaching of the gospel: now let the, Spirit continue to work in the world through the hearts of all who believe. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

v. You, O Lord, will open my lips.
R. And my tongue shall announce Your praise.
v. Incline unto my aid, O God.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
v. Glory be to the Father, etc.
R. As it was in the beginning, etc.

Then follow five decades of the Rosary with the Hail, Holy Queen.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, O most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

v. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, Whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation; grant, we beseech You, that meditating upon these mysteries in the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain, and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.

v. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
R. Have mercy on us.
v. Immaculate Heart of Mary
R. Pray for us.
v. St. Joseph
R. Pray for us.
v. St John the Evangelist
R. Pray for us.
v. St. Louis-Marie deMontfort
R. Pray for us.

Make the Sign of the Cross)
In the name of the Father, etc.

The Catena Legionis

Antiphon. Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?

(Make the Sign of the Cross)
v. My soul glorifies the Lord.*
R. My spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
v. He looks on His servant in her lowliness;*
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.

R. The Almighty works marvels for me.*
Holy His name!
v. His mercy is from age to age,*
on those who fear Him.

R. He puts forth His arm in strength*
and scatters the proud-hearted.
v. He casts the mighty from their thrones*
and raises the lowly.

R. He fills the starving with good things,*
sends the rich away empty.

v. He protects Israel His servant,*
remembering His mercy,
R. The mercy promised to our fathers,*
to Abraham and his sons for ever.

v. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit..
R. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Antiphon. Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?

v. O Mary, conceived without sin.
R. Pray for us who have recourse to you.

Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, our mediator with the Father, Who has been Pleased to appoint the Most Blessed Virgin, Your mother, to be our mother also, and our mediatrix with You, mercifully grant that whoever comes to You seeking Your favours may rejoice to receive all of them through her. Amen.

Concluding Prayers

Make the Sign of the Cross)
In the name of the Father, etc.

We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our prayers in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

v. Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of all Graces
or Invocation appropriate to Praesidium)
R. Pray for us.
v. Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
R. Pray for us.
v. All you heavenly Powers, Mary's Legion of Angels
R. Pray for us.
v. St John the Baptist
R. Pray for us.
v. Sts Peter and Paul
R. Pray for us.

Confer, O Lord, on us, who serve beneath the standard of Mary, that fullness of faith in You and trust in her, to which it is given to conquer the world. Grant us a lively faith, animated by charity, which will enable us to perform all our actions from the motive of pure love of You, and ever to see You and serve You in our neighbor; a faith, firm and immovable as a rock, through which we shall rest tranquil and steadfast amid the crosses, toils and disappointments of life; a courageous faith which will inspire us to undertake and carry out without hesitation great things for your glory and for the salvation of souls; a faith which will be our Legion's Pillar of Fire - to lead us forth united - to kindle everywhere the fires of divine love - to enlighten those who are in darkness and in the shadow of death - to inflame those who are lukewarm - to bring back life to those who are dead in sin; and which will guide our own feet in the way of peace; so that - the battle of life over - our Legion may reassemble, without the loss of any one, in the kingdom of Your love and glory. Amen.

May the souls of our departed legionaries and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Make the Sign of the Cross)
In the name of the Father, etc.

"I have no hands but yours......"

The apostles were sent out in pairs, so does the Legion send out its legionaries in pairs to be the hands and feet of Christ. The master and apprentice system has proved very successful. All work carried out is done in close union with Mary and guided by the Holy Spirit. Some of the works done by legionaries in parishes include:

• Visiting the sick in hospitals, nursing homes and special accommodation. Taking the Eucharist to the sick and housebound.
• Calling on the families of newly baptised children. Encouraging parents to bring their children to a better understanding of their Catholic faith.
• Catechism instruction for children attending government schools.
• Adult Faith formation and R.C.I.A.
• Parish census work
• Visitation of families in the parish on behalf of the Parish Priest. Distributing prayer cards, Rosaries and Mass times. Inviting lapsed Catholics back to the practice of their faith.

We pray before each task undertaken, asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit  and Mary, to give us the words  that they would  want us to say and to touch the hearts of those whom we visit.

Legionaries engage in the Works of Mercy, in particular the Spiritual Works of Mercy in response to Christ's exhortation in Matthew 25:34-46. Jesus insists upon the necessity of observing the first six corporal works of mercy on which we shall be judged.

The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

The Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy illustrate the ways to show charity toward others. These works express mercy and are thus expected to be performed by believers insofar as they are able, in accordance with the Beatitude "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). They are also required as a matter of obedience to the second of the two greatest commandments "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". (Matthew 22:25-30).

The Corporal Works of Mercy

• Feed the hungry
• Give drink to the thirsty
• Clothe the naked
• Shelter the homeless
• Visit the sick
• Visit the imprisoned
• Bury the dead

The Spiritual Works of Mercy

• Admonish the sinner
• Instruct the ignorant (this and the next work are extremely pertinent  today, when so many people are confused about the Church's teaching on contraception, abortion, homosexuality, etc.)
• Counsel the doubtful
• Comfort the sorrowful
• Bear wrongs patiently
• Forgive all injuries
• Pray for the living and the dead

Today there are an estimated 5 million members in the Legion of Mary worldwide. Requirement for membership is that one is a practising Catholic, over 18 years of age and has a willingness to abide by the Legion system which is modelled on that of the Roman Army. There two grades of membership: Active and Auxiliary.

Active Membership

To be an active member in the Legion of Mary, one must be a practising Catholic. Active members serve God under the banner of Mary by practising the Spiritual Works of Mercy. The main apostolate of the Legion consists in activities directed towards all men and women, young and old, rich and poor as well as people from the margins of society (homeless, prostitutes, prisoners etc.) and towards non-Catholics. The members of the Legion are primarily engaged in the performance of the Spiritual Works of Mercy rather than works of material aid (which are prohibited).

Additional Grades of Membership

In addition to the ordinary active membership, the Legion recognises three other grades of membership:-

Auxiliary Membership

This is the ‘left wing’ of the Legion's praying army. Its service consists in the daily recitation of the prayers comprised in the tessera, namely: the invocation and prayer of the Holy Spirit; five decades of the rosary and the invocations which follow them; the Catena; and the concluding prayers. This membership is open to priests, religious and lay people who are unable or unwilling to assume the duties of active membership, but who associate themselves with the Legion by undertaking a service of prayer in its name. There are no age limits in the case of auxiliary membership.

The Praetorians

This is a higher grade of active membership, consisting of those who to the ordinary obligations of membership undertake to add:-

• The daily recitation of all the prayers comprised in the Tessera of the Legion;
• Daily Mass and daily Holy Communion.
• Daily recitation of an Office approved by the Church, especially the Divine Office or a substantial part of it, for example Morning and Evening Prayer.

Adjutorians

This is the ‘right wing’ of the praying Legion. It comprises those who will

• recite daily all the prayers of the tessera and in addition
• agree to attend Mass and receive Holy Communion daily,
• recite daily an Office approved by the Church.

Junior Membership

Catholics aged 18 years and under can join a Junior Praesidium. There is no minimum age requirement, however children are required to attend a weekly meeting lasting an hour and perform some active work such as visiting a nursing home, helping with household chores, etc. It is a great way of training young Catholics to get involved in the works of mercy from an early age.

The Servant of God, Alphonsus Lambe, (known as Alfie) was born in Tullamore, Ireland on the feast of St. John the Baptist, Friday, 24th June 1932, during the international Eucharistic Congress in Dublin.

Like St. John he was a precursor - the precursor of the Legion of Mary, which Pope Paul VI described as "the greatest movement which has been established for the good of souls since the era of the great religious orders".

After spending a period of his youth in the novitiate of the Irish Christian Brothers, which he had to leave because of delicate health, he found his vocation in the Legion of Mary, and was appointed Envoy in 1953. With Seamus Grace, he left for Bogota, Columbia on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel 16th July) of that year.

One day in 1937 a Dutch priest was driving an Irish girl to a Legion of Mary meeting some miles from his mission in Africa. They came to a river in such flood that the bridge across it could not even be seen. He was about to turn back when the girl cried out, "Oh Father, please go on, I'm sure Our Lady will protect us". He was aghast but found he couldn't resist such faith. Some men standing by formed a human chain to see if the bridge was still there.

It was, so he drove on blindly. The water flooded the engine and plugs but the impetus carried the car across and up an incline at the far side. He dried the plugs and tried the starter. The car got going and they were in time for the meeting.The girl was Edel Quinn and the incident typical of her story. In 1936 she had been sent from Dublin to establish the Legion in East and Central Africa.

Founder of the Legion of Mary

Frank Duff was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 7, 1889. He entered the Civil Service at the age of 18. At 24 he joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul where he was led to a deeper commitment to his Catholic faith and at the same time he acquired a great sensitivity to the needs of the poor and underprivileged.

The Standard Of The Legion

The Vexillum Legionis is an adaptation of the standard of the Roman Legion. The eagle which surmounted the standard is replaced by the Dove, the emblem of the Holy Spirit. Beneath the Dove a cross-bar bears the inscription “Legio Mariae” (Legion of Mary). Intermediate between cross-bar and staff (and joined to the former by a rose and a lily) is an oval frame bearing a representation of the Immaculate Conception (the Miraculous Medal). The staff is set in a globe which, for use on a table, stands on a square base. The whole design conveys the idea that the world is to be conquered by the Holy Spirit acting through Mary and her children.

The Colour Red

It is a picturesque circumstance that the colour of the Legion is red, and not, as might be expected, blue. This was determined in connection with the settling of a minor detail, that is the colour of Our Lady's halo in the vexillum and in the tessera picture. It was felt that Legion symbolism required that Our Lady be shown as full of the Holy Spirit, and that this should be denoted by making her halo of his colour. This drew with it the further thought that the Legion's colour should be red. The same note is struck in the tessera picture, which depicts Our Lady as the biblical Pillar of Fire, all luminous and burning with the Holy Spirit

The Legion of Mary was founded in Dublin Ireland in 1921 by Frank Duff. Frank saw a great need for ordinary Catholics to be involved in the work of evangelisation, something which until then had been the sole realm of priests and religious.  He met with a group of 11 women and a priest on 7 September 1921 and held the first Legion meeting. For a time it was known as The Association of Our Lady of Mercy.  One of the first works carried out by the Legion members was to go into a red-light district in Dublin renowned for its high crime rate. It was so bad that the authorities had turned a blind eye to it for many years. Frank was already quite well known through his involvement in the St Vincent de Paul Society and he was able to infiltrate this district where others had failed. With his gentle and unassuming manner he managed to organise retreats for the street girls, bringing many of them back to the practice of their faith and turning away from their life of sin. He eventually set up hostels for single women (the Regina Coeli) and for destitute men (Morning Star Hostel) both of which are still operational today.

The Legion's Origin

In Dublin on 7th September, 1921, fifteen people met to work out together how best to serve God in the form of a Lay Apostolate. After invoking the aid of the Holy Spirit and reciting the Rosary, they decided to visit in pairs the Dublin Union Hospital, where there were many poor, friendless, aged patients, In addition, they decided to hold a meeting each week.

Thus, the Legion was born, with its characteristic features: prayer in common, very definite apostolic work and a weekly meeting.

From this humble beginning, though not worked out at its beginning, but animated by great trust in the Holy Spirit and Mary's power in the work of evangelisation, this form of apostolate has spread throughout the world.

The Legion now operates in more than 1900 dioceses, and it has been estimated that there are now more than three million active legionaries and possibly eight million auxiliary members throughout the world. It counts numbers of martyrs among its members, especially in China and Africa.