NV-Help of Christians

NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS
FEAST DAY : MAY 24TH

What is a Novena?
A novena is a traditional devotion consisting of specific prayers recited on nine successive days. Besides being a form of praise, a novena is frequently offered for a particular intention. The first novena took place in the Cenacle, during the nine days preceding Pentecost, or the coming of the Holy Ghost. As a regular popular custom, this practice began in 12th century Christianity and continues to be beneficial today as a way of praying for healing, protection or other blessings for ourselves or others.

This particular novena is prayed to God in honor of the Our Lady Help of Christians. In praying this Novena, as in the case of all prayer, it is good to begin by opening ourselves wholeheartedly to God's will, offering a simple act of trust in God's wisdom and in His providential love for us all, that disposes all things for the ultimate benefit of our souls and their salvation.

How to Pray This Novena
This novena is based on our ultimate goal, which is to reach God in Heaven. Each day of the novena is divided into the following parts: (1) a quote from Our Lady spoken at one of here apparitions, or a quote from a Saint (2) a passage on the history and development of Our Lady Help of Christians; (3) a Meditation; (4) mentioning your intention for the novena; (5) a Prayer; (6) a Closing Invocations.

LITANY IN HONOR OF THE
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

Lord, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!

Christ, have mercy!
Christ, have mercy!

Lord, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!

God, our Father in Heaven,
Have mercy on us!
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us!
God, the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us!
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us!

Holy, Mary, Pray for us!

Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us to preserve our Faith!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us preserve our Hope!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us preserve our Charity to God and neighbor!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us to love God more and more!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us preserve Sanctifying Grace in our souls!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us grow in the Grace of God!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us cooperate with the Grace of God!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us overcome the many temptations we face!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us against the attacks of devil and the world!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us become worthy Soldiers of Christ!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us in defending the Church and the Faith!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us grow in the knowledge of our Faith!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us grow in the practice of our Faith!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us spread the Gospel of Christ!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us bear witness to Christ!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us to pray well!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us to pray much!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us perform penances for our sins!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us achieve a true contrition for our sins!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us make sacrifices for other sinners!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us to lead a holy life!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us avoid damnation!
Our Lady, Help of Christians,
Help us to save our souls!

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us!

V. O Mary, Help of Christians,
R. Help us in all our needs!

Let us pray: Almighty and merciful Lord, in a marvelous manner you deigned to make the most holy Virgin Mary a powerful helper in defense of Christians. Grant that, having fought the good fight under her protection during our life, by the help of Our Lady of Christians, we may be victorious over our infernal enemy at the hour of our death. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mary, Help of Christians, Pray for us.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted daily)
Theme: Everyone Needs Help! All Help Comes Through Mary!

Our Lady Says:
The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on Earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion―for everyone, if he receives nothing else through my intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be. No one, therefore, who is not entirely accursed [by which is meant the final and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the damned], is so entirely cast-off by God, that he may not return and enjoy His mercy, if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them. Therefore, he shall be miserable, and forever miserable in another life, who in this life, being able to do so, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.” (quoted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary).

Reading on Our Lady Help of Christians

Under one form or another there is no title of the Mother of God which is older or more general than that which describes her as the Helper of the Church and the Helper of her children. Her office in the Incarnation and Redemption was that of helper, or cooperator, with Jesus. As we have seen, the Incarnation, as God designed it, could not have been accomplished without her help.

The name “Jesus” is in Hebrew “Yeshua” or “Jehousua” or “Josue”—which means “God saves,” “God is salvation,” or “God helps” ― so that Mary is the Help of the Helper. The Help of her Son, She is also the Help of His brethren—us, her other children, her spiritual children. The whole history of the Church, in its most critical moments, could be written from the view-point of Mary’s intervention and intercession. Ever since the Council of Ephesus (431), when the declaration of her Divine Maternity saved the doctrine of the Incarnation, she has been the Help of the Church against heresy, so that the Church has gratefully said to her: “Thou alone has destroyed all the heresies in the whole world.”

In the old apocryphal book of “The Passing of Mary,” which goes back to the fifth century, there is this passage: “Often, here in Rome, she appears to the people who confess her in prayer, for she has appeared here on the sea when it was troubled and raised itself and was going to destroy the ship in which they were sailing. And the sailors called out: ‘O Lady Mercy, Mother of God, have mercy on us!’ And immediately she rose upon them like the sun and delivered the ships, 92 of them, and rescued them from destruction, and none of them perished.”

And, in like manner, Mary has saved the Bark of Peter many times when it seemed threatened with destruction. Many of her Feasts have been instituted, many of her devotions established, or approved, and indulgenced in commemoration of the manifestation of the power of her arm.

Meditation

Who is there that needs no help? Nobody! Everyone needs help! Our Lord Himself said: “Without Me―you can do nothing!” (John 15:5). We need for everything! We need His grace for everything! We cannot be saved without His grace! Yet is it through Mary that God gives His graces to mankind. St. Louis de Montfort, in his True Devotion to Mary, writes: “It was only through Mary that God the Father gave His Only-Begotten to the world … God the Father communicated to Mary His fruitfulness, in order that He might give her the power to produce His Son and all the members of His Mystical Body … God the Son descended into her virginal womb to work, in secret, marvels of grace … God the Holy Ghost is become fruitful by Mary, whom He has espoused. It was with her, in her, and of her that He produced His Masterpiece―which is God made Man―and that He goes on producing daily, to the end of the world, the predestinate and the members of the Body of that adorable Head!

“God the Father made an assemblage of all His graces and he called it Mary―a most rich treasury in which He has laid up all that He has of beauty and splendor. This immense treasury is none other than Mary, whom the saints have named the Treasure of the Lord, out of whose plenitude all men are made rich. God the Son has communicated to His Mother all that He acquired―by His life and His death, His infinite merits and His admirable virtues―and He has made her the treasurer of all that His Father gave Him. It is by her that He applies His merits to His members, and that He communicates His virtues, and distributes His graces. She is His mysterious canal; she is His aqueduct, through which He makes His mercies flow gently and abundantly. To Mary, His faithful spouse, God the Holy Ghost has chosen her to be the dispenser of all He possesses, in such a way that she distributes to whom she wills, as much as she wills, as she wills and when she wills, all His gifts and graces. The Holy Ghost gives no heavenly gift to men, which He does not have pass through her virginal hands. Such has been the will of God, who has willed that we should have everything through Mary!” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

If you want anything from God―then it is to Mary that you must go, for God gives all His help through Mary!

[Mention Intention]

Prayer for Day 1, Day 4 & Day 7

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and our Mother, thou seest how the Catholic Faith, in which we propose by the help of God to live and die, and so attain to eternal glory, is everywhere assailed by the devil and the world. Do thou, Help of Christians, renew thy victories as of old, for the salvation of thy children. To thee we entrust our firm purpose of never joining assemblies of heretics or sectaries. Do thou, all holy Virgin, offer to thy divine Son our resolutions, and obtain from Him the graces necessary to enable us to remain steadfast in them to the end. Bring consolation to the true visible head of the Church; support the valid Catholic Episcopate; protect the faithful Clergy and the people who proclaim thee Queen; hasten by the power of thy prayers the day when all nations shall be gathered together around the true Supreme Pastor. Amen. Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.

(Indulgence: 100 Days, once a day. Pope Leo XIII, December 20th, 1890).

Pray the Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession and was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Final Invocations:
O Mary, powerful help of those Christians who approach the throne of your mercy with trust! Listen to the prayers of your children who invoke your help to avoid sin and the occasions of sin.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY IN HONOR OF THE
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted daily)
Theme:

Our Lady Says:
The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on Earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion―for everyone, if he receives nothing else through my intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be. No one, therefore, who is not entirely accursed [by which is meant the final and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the damned], is so entirely cast-off by God, that he may not return and enjoy His mercy, if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them. Therefore, he shall be miserable, and forever miserable in another life, who in this life, being able to do so, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.” (quoted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary).

Reading on Our Lady Help of Christians

Meditation

[Mention Intention]

Prayer for Day 2, Day 5 & Day 8

Our Lady Help of Christians, most powerful Virgin, loving help of the Christian people, what thanks are not due to thee from us for the help thou didst give to our fathers, who, when threatened by the infidel Turk, invoked thy maternal aid by devoutly reciting the Rosary. From Heaven thou didst behold their danger, thou didst hear their pitiful voices, thou didst lend a favorable ear to the humble prayer suggested by the great Pontiff, Pope St. Pius V, and didst promptly run to their assistance.

Grant, O dear Mother, that the present and long continued groaning of the holy Spouse of Christ may penetrate to thy throne; may they again move thy compassion and arouse thee afresh to free her from the powerful enemies who surround her. And so from every corner of the Earth there rises to thy throne that precious prayer to make thee propitious now, as then, in our present calamity, lest our sins hinder, or at least retard, their effect. Therefore, dearest Mother, obtain for us true sorrow for them, and a firm purpose to be ready rather to face death than return to sin. Intolerable is the thought that, through our fault, the aid we so desperately need should be denied or delayed.

Arise then, dear Mother, yielding to the prayers of the Catholic world, and beat down the pride of those wretched men who in their insolence outrage God, and would have that Church destroyed against which, by the infallible word of Christ, the gates of Hell shall never prevail. Let it once more be seen that, where thou dost arise to protect her, then the victory is assured, and even though it may be delayed, it is certain in the end; for so we are taught by the Faith, which bids us hope through thee to be mercifully heard by God. Amen.

(Indulgence: 200 Days, once a day. Pope Leo XIII, June 20th, 1891).

Pray the Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession and was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Final Invocations:
O Mary, powerful help of those Christians who approach the throne of your mercy with trust! Listen to the prayers of your children who invoke your help to avoid sin and the occasions of sin.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY IN HONOR OF THE
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted daily)
Theme:

Our Lady Says:
The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on Earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion―for everyone, if he receives nothing else through my intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be. No one, therefore, who is not entirely accursed [by which is meant the final and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the damned], is so entirely cast-off by God, that he may not return and enjoy His mercy, if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them. Therefore, he shall be miserable, and forever miserable in another life, who in this life, being able to do so, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.” (quoted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary).

Reading on Our Lady Help of Christians

Meditation

[Mention Intention]

Prayer for Day 3, Day 6 & Day 9

Most holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, our most tender Mother, and powerful Help of Christians, we dedicate ourselves entirely to thy most sweet love and holy service. We consecrate our minds with all their thoughts, our hearts with all their affections, our bodies with all their senses and powers, and we promise to desire always to work for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of souls. Meanwhile do thou, O incomparable Virgin, who hast always been the Help of the Christian people, continue to show thyself such, especially in these days. Humble the enemies of our holy religion, and frustrate their evil purposes. Enlighten and strengthen bishops and priests, and keep them ever united in obedience to the true Pope, their infallible master. Preserve incautious youth from irreligion and vice. Promote holy vocations and increase the number of thy sacred ministers, that by means of them the Kingdom of Jesus Christ may be preserved among us, and extended to the farthest boundaries of the Earth.

We pray thee also, most sweet Mother, to look at all times with compassion upon the young and thoughtless, exposed to so many dangers, and upon poor sinners and the dying; be for all a sweet hope, O Mary, Mother of Mercy and Gate of Heaven. Also we pray thee for ourselves, O great Mother of God. Teach us to copy thy virtues and especially angelic modesty, profound humility, and ardent charity; so that by word and example we may, as far as is possible in our state of life, present in the midst of the world a living image of blessed Jesus thy Son, and may cause thee to be known and loved, and so may succeed in saving many souls. Obtain for us, O Mary our Helper, that we may be all gathered under thy maternal mantle, that in temptation we may invoke thee promptly and confidently; in short, that the thought of thee, so good, so loving, and so dear, and the remembrance of the love which thou bearest to thy clients may be such a support to us, as to render us victorious over the enemies of our souls in life and in death, so that we may become thy crown in beautiful Paradise. Amen.

(Indulgence of 300 days, every time it is prayed. Leo XIII, March 10th, 1900).

Pray the Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession and was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Final Invocations:
O Mary, powerful help of those Christians who approach the throne of your mercy with trust! Listen to the prayers of your children who invoke your help to avoid sin and the occasions of sin.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY IN HONOR OF THE
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted daily)
Theme:

Our Lady Says:
The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on Earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion―for everyone, if he receives nothing else through my intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be. No one, therefore, who is not entirely accursed [by which is meant the final and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the damned], is so entirely cast-off by God, that he may not return and enjoy His mercy, if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them. Therefore, he shall be miserable, and forever miserable in another life, who in this life, being able to do so, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.” (quoted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary).

Reading on Our Lady Help of Christians

Meditation

[Mention Intention]

Prayer for Day 1, Day 4 & Day 7

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and our Mother, thou seest how the Catholic Faith, in which we propose by the help of God to live and die, and so attain to eternal glory, is everywhere assailed by the devil and the world. Do thou, Help of Christians, renew thy victories as of old, for the salvation of thy children. To thee we entrust our firm purpose of never joining assemblies of heretics or sectaries. Do thou, all holy Virgin, offer to thy divine Son our resolutions, and obtain from Him the graces necessary to enable us to remain steadfast in them to the end. Bring consolation to the true visible head of the Church; support the valid Catholic Episcopate; protect the faithful Clergy and the people who proclaim thee Queen; hasten by the power of thy prayers the day when all nations shall be gathered together around the true Supreme Pastor. Amen. Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.

(Indulgence: 100 Days, once a day. Pope Leo XIII, December 20th, 1890).

Pray the Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession and was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Final Invocations:
O Mary, powerful help of those Christians who approach the throne of your mercy with trust! Listen to the prayers of your children who invoke your help to avoid sin and the occasions of sin.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY IN HONOR OF THE
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted daily)
Theme:

Our Lady Says:
The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on Earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion―for everyone, if he receives nothing else through my intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be. No one, therefore, who is not entirely accursed [by which is meant the final and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the damned], is so entirely cast-off by God, that he may not return and enjoy His mercy, if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them. Therefore, he shall be miserable, and forever miserable in another life, who in this life, being able to do so, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.” (quoted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary).

Reading on Our Lady Help of Christians

Meditation

[Mention Intention]

Prayer for Day 2, Day 5 & Day 8

Our Lady Help of Christians, most powerful Virgin, loving help of the Christian people, what thanks are not due to thee from us for the help thou didst give to our fathers, who, when threatened by the infidel Turk, invoked thy maternal aid by devoutly reciting the Rosary. From Heaven thou didst behold their danger, thou didst hear their pitiful voices, thou didst lend a favorable ear to the humble prayer suggested by the great Pontiff, Pope St. Pius V, and didst promptly run to their assistance.

Grant, O dear Mother, that the present and long continued groaning of the holy Spouse of Christ may penetrate to thy throne; may they again move thy compassion and arouse thee afresh to free her from the powerful enemies who surround her. And so from every corner of the Earth there rises to thy throne that precious prayer to make thee propitious now, as then, in our present calamity, lest our sins hinder, or at least retard, their effect. Therefore, dearest Mother, obtain for us true sorrow for them, and a firm purpose to be ready rather to face death than return to sin. Intolerable is the thought that, through our fault, the aid we so desperately need should be denied or delayed.

Arise then, dear Mother, yielding to the prayers of the Catholic world, and beat down the pride of those wretched men who in their insolence outrage God, and would have that Church destroyed against which, by the infallible word of Christ, the gates of Hell shall never prevail. Let it once more be seen that, where thou dost arise to protect her, then the victory is assured, and even though it may be delayed, it is certain in the end; for so we are taught by the Faith, which bids us hope through thee to be mercifully heard by God. Amen.

(Indulgence: 200 Days, once a day. Pope Leo XIII, June 20th, 1891).

Pray the Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession and was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Final Invocations:
O Mary, powerful help of those Christians who approach the throne of your mercy with trust! Listen to the prayers of your children who invoke your help to avoid sin and the occasions of sin.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY IN HONOR OF THE
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted daily)
Theme:

Our Lady Says:
The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on Earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion―for everyone, if he receives nothing else through my intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be. No one, therefore, who is not entirely accursed [by which is meant the final and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the damned], is so entirely cast-off by God, that he may not return and enjoy His mercy, if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them. Therefore, he shall be miserable, and forever miserable in another life, who in this life, being able to do so, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.” (quoted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary).

Reading on Our Lady Help of Christians

Meditation

[Mention Intention]

Prayer for Day 3, Day 6 & Day 9

Most holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, our most tender Mother, and powerful Help of Christians, we dedicate ourselves entirely to thy most sweet love and holy service. We consecrate our minds with all their thoughts, our hearts with all their affections, our bodies with all their senses and powers, and we promise to desire always to work for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of souls. Meanwhile do thou, O incomparable Virgin, who hast always been the Help of the Christian people, continue to show thyself such, especially in these days. Humble the enemies of our holy religion, and frustrate their evil purposes. Enlighten and strengthen bishops and priests, and keep them ever united in obedience to the true Pope, their infallible master. Preserve incautious youth from irreligion and vice. Promote holy vocations and increase the number of thy sacred ministers, that by means of them the Kingdom of Jesus Christ may be preserved among us, and extended to the farthest boundaries of the Earth.

We pray thee also, most sweet Mother, to look at all times with compassion upon the young and thoughtless, exposed to so many dangers, and upon poor sinners and the dying; be for all a sweet hope, O Mary, Mother of Mercy and Gate of Heaven. Also we pray thee for ourselves, O great Mother of God. Teach us to copy thy virtues and especially angelic modesty, profound humility, and ardent charity; so that by word and example we may, as far as is possible in our state of life, present in the midst of the world a living image of blessed Jesus thy Son, and may cause thee to be known and loved, and so may succeed in saving many souls. Obtain for us, O Mary our Helper, that we may be all gathered under thy maternal mantle, that in temptation we may invoke thee promptly and confidently; in short, that the thought of thee, so good, so loving, and so dear, and the remembrance of the love which thou bearest to thy clients may be such a support to us, as to render us victorious over the enemies of our souls in life and in death, so that we may become thy crown in beautiful Paradise. Amen.

(Indulgence of 300 days, every time it is prayed. Leo XIII, March 10th, 1900).

Pray the Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession and was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Final Invocations:
O Mary, powerful help of those Christians who approach the throne of your mercy with trust! Listen to the prayers of your children who invoke your help to avoid sin and the occasions of sin.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY IN HONOR OF THE
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted daily)
Theme:

Our Lady Says:
The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on Earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion―for everyone, if he receives nothing else through my intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be. No one, therefore, who is not entirely accursed [by which is meant the final and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the damned], is so entirely cast-off by God, that he may not return and enjoy His mercy, if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them. Therefore, he shall be miserable, and forever miserable in another life, who in this life, being able to do so, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.” (quoted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary).

Reading on Our Lady Help of Christians

Meditation

[Mention Intention]

Prayer for Day 1, Day 4 & Day 7

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and our Mother, thou seest how the Catholic Faith, in which we propose by the help of God to live and die, and so attain to eternal glory, is everywhere assailed by the devil and the world. Do thou, Help of Christians, renew thy victories as of old, for the salvation of thy children. To thee we entrust our firm purpose of never joining assemblies of heretics or sectaries. Do thou, all holy Virgin, offer to thy divine Son our resolutions, and obtain from Him the graces necessary to enable us to remain steadfast in them to the end. Bring consolation to the true visible head of the Church; support the valid Catholic Episcopate; protect the faithful Clergy and the people who proclaim thee Queen; hasten by the power of thy prayers the day when all nations shall be gathered together around the true Supreme Pastor. Amen. Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.

(Indulgence: 100 Days, once a day. Pope Leo XIII, December 20th, 1890).

Pray the Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession and was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Final Invocations:
O Mary, powerful help of those Christians who approach the throne of your mercy with trust! Listen to the prayers of your children who invoke your help to avoid sin and the occasions of sin.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY IN HONOR OF THE
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted daily)
Theme:

Our Lady Says:
The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on Earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion―for everyone, if he receives nothing else through my intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be. No one, therefore, who is not entirely accursed [by which is meant the final and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the damned], is so entirely cast-off by God, that he may not return and enjoy His mercy, if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them. Therefore, he shall be miserable, and forever miserable in another life, who in this life, being able to do so, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.” (quoted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary).

Reading on Our Lady Help of Christians

Meditation

[Mention Intention]

Prayer for Day 2, Day 5 & Day 8

Our Lady Help of Christians, most powerful Virgin, loving help of the Christian people, what thanks are not due to thee from us for the help thou didst give to our fathers, who, when threatened by the infidel Turk, invoked thy maternal aid by devoutly reciting the Rosary. From Heaven thou didst behold their danger, thou didst hear their pitiful voices, thou didst lend a favorable ear to the humble prayer suggested by the great Pontiff, Pope St. Pius V, and didst promptly run to their assistance.

Grant, O dear Mother, that the present and long continued groaning of the holy Spouse of Christ may penetrate to thy throne; may they again move thy compassion and arouse thee afresh to free her from the powerful enemies who surround her. And so from every corner of the Earth there rises to thy throne that precious prayer to make thee propitious now, as then, in our present calamity, lest our sins hinder, or at least retard, their effect. Therefore, dearest Mother, obtain for us true sorrow for them, and a firm purpose to be ready rather to face death than return to sin. Intolerable is the thought that, through our fault, the aid we so desperately need should be denied or delayed.

Arise then, dear Mother, yielding to the prayers of the Catholic world, and beat down the pride of those wretched men who in their insolence outrage God, and would have that Church destroyed against which, by the infallible word of Christ, the gates of Hell shall never prevail. Let it once more be seen that, where thou dost arise to protect her, then the victory is assured, and even though it may be delayed, it is certain in the end; for so we are taught by the Faith, which bids us hope through thee to be mercifully heard by God. Amen.

(Indulgence: 200 Days, once a day. Pope Leo XIII, June 20th, 1891).

Pray the Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession and was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Final Invocations:
O Mary, powerful help of those Christians who approach the throne of your mercy with trust! Listen to the prayers of your children who invoke your help to avoid sin and the occasions of sin.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY IN HONOR OF THE
OUR LADY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted daily)
Theme:

Our Lady Says:
The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “I am the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of Mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God; neither is there living on Earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived of my compassion―for everyone, if he receives nothing else through my intercession, receives the grace of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise would be. No one, therefore, who is not entirely accursed [by which is meant the final and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the damned], is so entirely cast-off by God, that he may not return and enjoy His mercy, if he invokes my aid. I am called by all the Mother of Mercy, and truly the mercy of God towards men has made me so merciful towards them. Therefore, he shall be miserable, and forever miserable in another life, who in this life, being able to do so, does not have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.” (quoted by St. Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary).

Reading on Our Lady Help of Christians

Meditation

[Mention Intention]

Prayer for Day 3, Day 6 & Day 9

Most holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, our most tender Mother, and powerful Help of Christians, we dedicate ourselves entirely to thy most sweet love and holy service. We consecrate our minds with all their thoughts, our hearts with all their affections, our bodies with all their senses and powers, and we promise to desire always to work for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of souls. Meanwhile do thou, O incomparable Virgin, who hast always been the Help of the Christian people, continue to show thyself such, especially in these days. Humble the enemies of our holy religion, and frustrate their evil purposes. Enlighten and strengthen bishops and priests, and keep them ever united in obedience to the true Pope, their infallible master. Preserve incautious youth from irreligion and vice. Promote holy vocations and increase the number of thy sacred ministers, that by means of them the Kingdom of Jesus Christ may be preserved among us, and extended to the farthest boundaries of the Earth.

We pray thee also, most sweet Mother, to look at all times with compassion upon the young and thoughtless, exposed to so many dangers, and upon poor sinners and the dying; be for all a sweet hope, O Mary, Mother of Mercy and Gate of Heaven. Also we pray thee for ourselves, O great Mother of God. Teach us to copy thy virtues and especially angelic modesty, profound humility, and ardent charity; so that by word and example we may, as far as is possible in our state of life, present in the midst of the world a living image of blessed Jesus thy Son, and may cause thee to be known and loved, and so may succeed in saving many souls. Obtain for us, O Mary our Helper, that we may be all gathered under thy maternal mantle, that in temptation we may invoke thee promptly and confidently; in short, that the thought of thee, so good, so loving, and so dear, and the remembrance of the love which thou bearest to thy clients may be such a support to us, as to render us victorious over the enemies of our souls in life and in death, so that we may become thy crown in beautiful Paradise. Amen.

(Indulgence of 300 days, every time it is prayed. Leo XIII, March 10th, 1900).

Pray the Memorare:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession and was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

Final Invocations:
O Mary, powerful help of those Christians who approach the throne of your mercy with trust! Listen to the prayers of your children who invoke your help to avoid sin and the occasions of sin.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

ANOTHER ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
Based upon the "True Devotion" Act of Consecration to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort

O Virgin Mary, most powerful Mother of Mercy, Queen of Heaven and Earth, in accordance with your wish made known at Fatima, I consecrate myself today to thy Immaculate Heart. To you I entrust all that I have, all that I am. Reign over me, dearest Mother, that I may be thine in prosperity, in adversity, in joy and in sorrow, in health and in sickness, in life and in death.

Most compassionate Heart of Mary, Queen of Virgins, watch over my mind and heart and preserve me from the deluge of impurity, which you lamented so sorrowfully at Fatima. I want to be pure like thee. I want to atone for the many crimes committed against Jesus and thee. I want to call down upon this country and the whole world the peace of God in justice and charity.

Mindful of this consecration, I now promise to strive to imitate thee by the practice of the Christian virtues, without paying attention to human respect. I resolve to receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday of every month when possible, and to offer daily at least five decades of the Rosary, with all my sacrifices in the spirit of penance and reparation.

I, . . ., a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy Heart, O Immaculate Mother, the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before.

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, in the presence of all the heavenly court, I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, and to thy Immaculate Heart, as thy child and slave of love, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God, in time and in eternity. Amen.