NV-La Salette

For the feast day, begin on September 10th and end on September 18th
Or, you could say it in any month beginning on the 10th and ending on the 18th
However, do not feel obligated to particular dates, pray it any time you want.

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 through the intercession of Our Lady of La Salette. 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.

Since Our Lady's apparition was on September 19th, 1846, the novena offered in her name is usually prayed from the eleventh to the nineteenth of each month. May Our Lady of La Salette guide you and God bless you.

How to Pray This Novena
This novena is based on the message of Our Lady of La Salette. Each day of the novena is divided into the following parts: (1) a Holy Scripture quote for reflection; (2) words from the apparition dialogue of Our Lady at La Salette; (3) a Meditation; (4) a Prayer; (5) after mentioning your intention, pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary; (6) a Closing Prayer (La Salette invocation).

This novena can be prayed alone or with others. To set the stage for praying this novena, and to help you all throughout it, you are invited to gradually read (a little each day) the story and full dialogue of the apparition of Our Lady of La Salette. (CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY)

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR
THE ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF LA SALETTE

La Salette is a small mountain village in the Rhône-Alpes region of south-east France. The nearest large city is Grenoble. Our Lady appeared on a mountain, 6,000 feet high, about three miles from the village. The photo above is of the shrine at La Salette with its basilica and monastery.

At La Salette, Our Lady wept bitterly, she was even weeping as she spoke with the two children. The reason for her tears were the lukewarmness and sinfulness of both clergy and laity; and the chastisements that God would have to send as a punishment.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme: Our Lord and Our Lady Want to Help Us

Holy Scripture Says:
“Come to Me, all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take up My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is sweet and My burden light.” (Mt. 11:28-30)

Our Lady Said:
“Come near, my children...”

Meditation:
What a wonderful invitation! In all simplicity Mary at La Salette calls the two children to come NEAR. Her words echo her Son’s invitation to come to Him, that we may find rest from our burdens and refreshment for our flagging, wearied, anxious spirits. This, too, is Mary’s desire: that her children—meaning us as well—should feel welcomed and loved, despite our sinfulness and unworthiness, for she is a Mother of Mercy and she invites us to weep over our sins with her, and to be reconciled with her Son, Jesus Christ..

For Mary wishes us to come nearer to God, Who desires only good for us, despite our sinfulness. We must approach and listen to her words, spoken with the love and concern of Jesus. She and her Son wish that, during this La Salette Novena of prayer, we may “have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). This is a wonderful promise and reward, in return for this special time of prayer and they want us to feel at home with them and sense the fullness of life that God wishes for us—which is a life of grace here below, leading to life of eternal joy and happiness up above. God loves me despite my sins and unworthiness. The devil seeks to discourage, while Mary looks to encourage! Jesus and Mary love me despite my unfaithfulness. They invite me to believe and trust in their love for me, and to unburden myself by weeping over my past sins and unfaithfulness.

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
Virgin Mother of La Salette, we approach your loving Son with confidence. We place, before our Savior, our sins and failings, our labors and burdens, our cares and worries, our thoughts and feelings, our words and actions, during these days of prayer and reflection. May Christ ease our burdens, and fill us with His presence and grant us His mercy. With faith, we ask for His blessings to be poured upon us and upon those whom we hold close to our hearts.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and Hail Mary

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme : Freedom from Fear

Holy Scripture Says:
“Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.” (Luke 1: 30)

Our Lady Said:
“Do not be afraid!”

Meditation:
At her Annunciation, Mary's initial response to the presence and words of the Archangel Gabriel was one of anxious fear. Therefore, she could very easily sympathize with the reaction of fear, which overcame the two children, at her sudden appearance on the Holy Mountain of La Salette. Her words, like those of the Archangel, were most welcome and reassuring to the anxious souls--"Do not be afraid!" There is only one thing to fear—and that is sin! Venial Sin makes us pull away from God and Mortal Sin will even separate us from God entirely. We must fight both forms of sin and weep over our our past indulgence in these two forms of sin. Our Lady comes to La Salette as a weeping Mother, for we do not weep sufficiently over our sins.

However, Mary, who was relieved of her fears, now seeks to relieve us of our own fears. She who was "full of grace" and who “found favor with God,” now in turn seeks to find grace and favor for us as a Mother of Mercy. Mary, who knew the God of her ancestors as a God of power and might, now encounters God in a most personal and intimate way. At La Salette she speaks, from that privileged intimate relationship with God, to teach us that we, too, are “beloved of the Father”—despite our sins, if, like the Prodigal Son, we turn our back on them and return to the Father. Saint John declares “perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4: 18) Mary came to know that “perfect love” as her own Son. May He cast out our fear as well, and perfect His love in us.

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:
Remember, O Mother of Sorrows, how often fear of our past sins and failings discourages us and keeps us from God. Lovingly guide us away from sin and to Jesus, the source of grace. Drive out, too, dearest Mother, the fear we have of becoming true followers of Christ; which comes from a fear of what the world and those around us may think and say of us, if we truly started to live our Faith as it should be lived. As we take comfort in your kind and merciful invitation to draw ever closer to your Son, O Mother of Mercy, may your words melt our cold sinful hearts, so that we can both receive His mercy for ourselves, as well show His mercy to others. May you ever bring us an increase of His zeal for the glory of God, and so drive-out our lukewarmness and indifference. Finally, may you obtain for us the grace to experience His peace within us, and so banish all our fears and terrors. Amen.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:
Say the Our Father and Hail Mary.

Invocation:
Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme : Joy

Holy Scripture Says: “Behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: ‘Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people.’” (Luke 2:9-10)

Our Lady Said: “I am here to tell you great news.”

Meditation: The good news, spoken to Mary at her Annunciation, which was then, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, praised by Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, brought forth a prayer of praise from Mary. This prayer, the Magnificat, not only expresses her deep joy and the conviction of her strong faith; it also recounts how God cares for and helps the humble, the needy, the down-trodden, and the lost. Like the Gospel, the message of Our Lady at La Salette, is one of good news. Her words announce great JOY—the JOY of mercy and a chance of salvation: sin can be forgiven, death can lose its sting, a broken world can be bound and healed. As Holy Scripture says: “Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live?... But if the wicked do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all My commandments, and do judgment, and justice, living he shall live, and shall not die. I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done: in his justice which he hath wrought, he shall live” (Ezechiel 18:21-23).

The angels announced the Good News of Jesus’ birth—God breaking forth into our world. Why? As Holy Scripture says: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). “I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance” (Luke 5:32). “So I say to you, there shall be JOY before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance” (Luke 15:10)

Mary at La Salette reminds us that God continues to break into our world, restoring and renewing the face of the earth. How does God renew the face of the earth? Through PENANCE! The punishments that Our Lady predicts, will be an act or cleansing and healing by almighty God. Since mankind does not want to do any penance of itself, God will inflict a penance upon mankind! This is the Good News! This is the source of our JOY! Better to pay here below, in this life, than pay in Purgatory, or worse still, in Hell, in the after-life! So let us do penance, while we have time, and REJOICE that we are among the few who seriously think of paying their debts, before it is too late! A little suffering now, avoids enormous suffering later! There is our JOY! As Jesus said: “Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into JOY!” (John 16:20).

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer:  Gentle Virgin of La Salette, you urge us to find JOY in God our Savior and JOY in His service. Gladly we hear your words and pledge to rise up from our laxity and lukewarmness, to reform our lives and to spread this good news. May our lives give glory to your Son and be filled with JOY in serving Christ, now and forever.

[Mention Intention]

Pray:  Say the Our Father and Hail Mary

Invocation:  Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

Some people find it so hard to give Sunday to God. Though they will deny it, they love themselves more than God. So rather than PRAY, they want to PLAY! It is a day of REST for them—a day of rest from God! They should be reminded of the words spoken to the children by the Angel of Fatima: Why are you playing? Don't play, but pray! The hearts of Jesus and Mary are listening for your prayers! Let us be less busy about ourselves, and more busy with the things of God!

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme : Rest

Holy Scripture Says: “Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works. The seventh is the day of the sabbath, that is, the rest of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not do any work therein, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant nor thy maidservant, nor thy ox, nor thy ass, nor any of thy beasts, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest, even as thyself. Remember that thou also didst serve in Egypt, and the Lord thy God brought thee out from thence with a strong hand, and a stretched out arm. Therefore hath he commanded thee that thou shouldst observe the sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5: 13-15)

Our Lady Said: “I gave you six days to work; I kept the seventh for myself...”

Meditation: Yes, the seventh day belongs to God and God shares this gift with us. This consecrated time is meant to free us from the vicious cycle of production and consumerism. It points us to the greater reality of God's presence and our life of grace. We are meant to be restored to the divine image by withdrawing from the world. For he who loves the world more than God, is, in fact, an enemy of God’s: “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

In Holy Scripture, we see the two sisters, Martha and Mary, as being the symbols of work and rest. Martha is busy with many things, Mary rests at the feet of Our Lord. “Now it came to pass as they went, that Jesus entered into a certain town: and a certain woman named Martha, received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sitting also at the Lord' s feet, heard His word. But Martha was busy about much serving. Who stood and said: ‘Lord, hast thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? speak to her therefore, that she help me!’ And the Lord answering, said to her: ‘Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things: but one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her!’ ” (Luke 10:38-42).

“For thus saith the Lord God the Holy One of Israel: ‘If you return and be quiet, you shall be saved: in silence and in hope shall your strength be’ ” (Isaias 30:15). “Be still and see that I am God!” (Psalm 45:11). If we are too busy, too agitated, too active, we shall not see God—we shall miss the moment of His visitation.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not?” (Matthew 23:37). “And when he drew near, seeing the city, he wept over it, saying: ‘If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace; but now they are hidden from thy eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44). Our Lady warns of similar punishments today because we have forgotten God, and refused to let Him gather us together under the safety of His wings.

The One who made the heavens and the earth has reserved this day of Sunday for Himself, to remind us that “we are the sons of God” (Romans 8:16) and the He is our Father. This day, then, is meant to be a day which the sons spend with their Father. A day wherein we replenish, refresh and restore our love of the Father. It is His day, not ours. Our Lord said that whoever who sees Christ, sees the Father. To replenish our spiritual life, to renew and refresh it, we should often seek the Body of Christ, the Holy Eucharist—not just on Sundays, but as often as possible. In receiving the Body of Christ we are also called to be changed into the Body of Christ, to reflect Christ, to be another ‘Christ’—to be His eyes, ears, mouth, hands and feet. We are given into one another's care as were Jesus’ beloved Mother, Mary, and His beloved disciple, St. John, at the foot of His Cross. But we cannot give Christ to others, unless we truly and fully possess Him ourselves; and the more we possess Him, the more we can give. If we have a flase notion of charity and therefore are always running around helping others, we are like a car that is driven and driven without being refueled in good time. What happens is that the car runs out of gas and we end up going nowhere! The greatest commandment is to love God first, with our whole mind, heart, soul and strength—then, and only then, can we truly fulfill the second greatest commandment, of loving our neighbor as ourselves.

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: O Faithful Virgin of La Salette, you uphold our dignity as children of God, yet children having a free-will with which can choose to be faithful to the Father, or be unfaithful like the Prodigal Son. May the Day of the Lord not be a day in which we wander away from the Father and squander His grace by spending His day in unholy activities, but may it be a day of rest and spiritual replenishment and renewal; so that, being strengthened in spirit, we may be able fight our battles against temptation and sin, as well as seeking to bring other Prodigals back to the home of their true Father in Heaven.

[Mention Intention]

Pray: Say the Our Father and Hail Mary

Invocation: Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme : True Fasting and Almsgiving

Holy Scripture Says: “Is not this rather the fast that I have chosen? Loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress, let them that are broken go free, and break asunder every burden. Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own flesh” (Isaias 58:6-7).

Our Lady Said: “If the harvest is ruined, it is only on account of yourselves. I warned you last year. You paid no heed! Instead, you swore. The rest will do penance through the famine!”

Meditation: Mary’s message startles us to an awareness of the evils of our world and to our own indifference. Today two-thirds of the world suffers or dies from hunger. Greed ignores suffering and thinks only of itself. Across the face of the earth and injustice lies on our very doorstep. These signs cry out for our response. Yet even worse than the famine as regards food and drink, with its resulting hunger and thirst, is the famine as regards the Faith! More than two-thirds of the Faith are spiritually dying or dead for lack of Faith! Our Lady, at Fatima, complained that so many souls fall into Hell, in these days, because there is nobody to pray and offer sacrifices for them! Many people may lack extra money to buy food and drink for the world’s hungry and thirsty—but nobody can say they cannot offer prayers and sacrifices in order to contribute to feeding of the world with Faith and quenching their thirst for grace!

If we listen to and act upon her words and those of her Son, she promises that one day Jesus will say to us: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in: naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me ... Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me!” (Matthew 25:34-36, 40)

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: Mother of Compassion, open our eyes to the sufferings of our sisters and brothers, who, like us, were created in the image and likeness of God. Open our hearts and hands to share the material things, with which God’s Providence has blessed us, with the most needy of your children. Yet, more importantly, inspired by your words, Mary, may we also pour forth abundant prayers and sacrifices to save the souls of those whom love, yet who are separated from the truth in thought, or have strayed from God through sin. May both their minds and hearts be fed with truth and grace, so that they may quickly return to their Father’s house.

[Mention Intention]

Pray: Say the Our Father and Hail Mary

Invocation: Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme : The Promised Blessings of Christ

Holy Scripture Says: “The land, that was desolate and impassable, shall be glad, and the wilderness shall rejoice, and shall flourish like the lily. It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise: the glory of Libanus is given to it: the beauty of Carmel, and Saron, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the beauty of our God.” (Isaias 35:1-2)

Our Lady Said: “If (my people) are converted, rocks and stones will turn into heaps of wheat...”

Meditation: Jesus—Who opens the ears of the deaf and the eyes of the blind and makes the lame dance—also comes to restore us to a true Christian life. The constant temptation is to turn a deaf ear to Him with His advice and requests—that often come to us through His Church and the circumstances of those around us. We remain deliberately blind to what we should do and create our own little world—a unreal world—in which we prefer to live and die. We limp along in the ways of the Lord, complaining of every step that we have to take. We harden our hearts and we narrow or distort our vision, so that we miss His very presence in our lives and our circumstances. Let us not be afraid to come to Jesus—Who is the Way that we must follow; the Truth that we must uncover and hold fast to; the Life to be imitated, enjoyed and shared. Jesus is the One Who can make the desert of our heart—and of our world—bloom and bear abundant fruit.

Mary's apparition on the barren slope of La Salette has unleashed a stream of life-giving water, bearing the promise of refreshment and renewal. Listening Mary's call to conversion can make our own lives spiritually richer and more fruitful. When we truly turn our hearts away from the things of this earth, to seek the treasures of Heaven, then peace and gladness will come over our hearts—regardless of any suffering that there may be in our circumstances of life.

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: Most Holy Virgin, Reconciler of mankind with God, may your unceasing prayer and loving concern for us bear fruit in the constant conversion of our minds and hearts from the pleasures and treasures of this world. May our lives burst forth anew with true love for your Son. Love casts our fear and covers a multitude of sins; teach us that love, and help us grow in that love, so that we may we obtain the blessings you and your Son have promised, and faithfully love and serve Him as our Savior and Lord.

[Mention Intention]

Pray: Say the Our Father and Hail Mary.

Invocation: Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme : Prayer

Holy Scripture Says: “Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus, concerning you all” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

Our Lady Said: “Do you say your prayers well, my children? You should say them well, at night and in the morning... (people) go to Mass just to make fun of religion. In Lent they go to the butcher shops like dogs.”

Meditation: The Virgin at La Salette questions us on the quality of those gestures of faith, which link us to God, and serve as the source of our ongoing conversion. Each day, we are invited to express, in prayer, our free and constant dialogue with God. We remember the words of Jesus’ own prayer: “Father, if Thou wilt, remove this chalice from Me: but yet not My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22: 42).

At least once each week, the Church calls us to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where we renew and celebrate the redeeming Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Mass is the greatest prayer that exists! Yet, following the words of Our Lady of La Salette, we have to ask: “Do you pray well at Mass? Do you go to Mass to pray, or do you go for other reasons, or because you have to go?” Similarly, we have to ask: “Do you pray your Rosary daily? Do you pray it well? Or do you just say it out of routine, with boredom and indifference?” Prayer is the most important element of each day—because we are addressing God! When we pray we enter into the presence of God Himself! St. John Chrysostom warns us: “Consider the height, dignity and glory to which the Lord has raised you.” St. Augustine says: “What more excellent than prayer? What more useful and profitable? What sweeter and more delicious? What higher and more exalted in the whole scheme of our Christian religion?” And that “He knows how to live well, who knows how to pray well.” On the contrary, he who prays badly will invariably live badly.

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: O most Blessed Virgin Mary, first disciple of Jesus and a model of prayer, make our lives a living prayer. May we always be ready to pray; always aware of God’s perpetual presence; and always ready and willing to follow Jesus faithfully every day, in all the events and circumstances that Divine Providence will place before me. Teach to have perpetual recourse to prayer, O Mother of Perpetual Help, always being aware of our powerlessness without the assistance of you and your Divine Son, Who said to us: “Without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5) and that “we ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). Then, following His example from the Agony in the Garden, we shall obtain the help that we need in all our struggles and agonies of life.

[Mention Intention]

Pray: Say the Our Father and Hail Mary

Invocation: Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme : The Holy Eucharist

Holy Scripture Says: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst” (John 6: 35).

Our Lady Said: “But you, (Maximin), surely you must have seen some (spoiled wheat) once, at (the field of) Coin...your father gave you a piece of bread and said to you: ‘Here, my child, eat some bread while we still have it this year...’”

Meditation: The fear of a future evil, the carefree attitude of a child, the concern of parents for their family, the sharing of bread—all details of life held in the memory and heart of the Virgin Mary at La Salette. Her solicitude invites us to trust in her concern for our welfare. Mary is a mother who truly cares! Nobody comes even close to loving and caring for us as much as our spiritual and heavenly Mother cares for us!

Her loving Son, Jesus, also reminded people how much our heavenly Father watches out for our welfare. “If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more will your Father—Who is in Heaven—give good things to them that ask Him?” (Matthew 7:11). God shows His incredible care towards us by giving us the greatest gift we could possibly have—He has given us His own Son to live perpetually with us, here on earth, in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, in the most Holy Eucharist. That is the greatest treasure that we have, this side of Heaven!

Yet, alas, how few there are who still have a faith and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist! Modern day statistics show that anywhere between 60% to 90% of Catholics NO LONGER BELIEVE IN THE REAL PRESENCE. The percentages will vary uopn where you live, or what age group you fall into. The younger ones are almost always in the 90% range! No wonder Jesus said that when He would return, He would barely find any Faith left on earth: “The Son of man, when He cometh, shall He find, think you, faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8). Many no longer have a belief in, nor a hunger for, the Bread of Life, which, as Jesus said, we must eat if we wish to have eternal life. That is why the Angel at Fatima, in preparation for and as a future remedy for this falling away of belief in the Holy Eucharist, showed the three children how to profoundly adore Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and taught them these prayers:

“My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee!” … “O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee! My God, my God, I love Thee in the most Blessed Sacrament!” … “Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the sacrileges, outrages and indifference by which He Himself is offended.”

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: Most Holy Mother of the Blessed Sacrament, ever attentive to our needs, awaken within our souls the belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the most Holy Eucharist; so that with a much livelier faith we may arrive at a much more fervent love for thy Divine Son, present, yet neglected, in the tabernacles of our lukewarm world. Grant us a yearning to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist as often as we are able, and to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to both visit and communicate with Him—even daily if at all possible.

[Mention Intention]

Pray: Say the Our Father and Hail Mary

Invocation: Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA
Theme : Our Mission

Holy Scripture Says: “And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: ‘All power is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Going, therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world’” (Matthew 28: 18-20)

Our Lady Said: “Well, my children, you will make this known to all my people.”

Meditation: Our Lady challenges and encourages us to follow her Son, and, in doing so, she reminds us of our mission. We are to bring to the whole world the teachings of Jesus Christ. Marked and led by his Spirit and consecrated in truth and love, the followers of Jesus work together to advance the Kingdom of God in the surrounding world, of which the devil is called the prince. St. Ignatius of Loyola speaks of the “two standards or two flags”—one being that of Christ, the other being that of Satan. As Our Lord said:

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13).

“He that is not with Me, is against Me!” (Matthew 12:30).

“Every one, therefore, that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven. But he that shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father Who is in Heaven. Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's enemies shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for Me, shall find it” (Matthew 10:32-39).

The word “Gospel” means “good news.” We have to preach it in its entirety, and not just the sweet or easy parts. We are called not only to preach it, but also to live it. Mary epitomizes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She gave us Christ, she preached Christ and she lived Christ, she was the perfect replica of Christ. Even now, from Heaven, she still comes to us to preach Christ and His message. Like Mary, as we hear and bear the Word of God, we carry on the mission of Jesus, the mission entrusted to His apostles and to all the baptized. Such is our mission—so plain and simple that it was entrusted to two young children on the mountain of La Salette. Nobody is exempt or excused from this mission. With maternal concern, the Virgin encourages us one final time: “Well, my children, you will make this known to all my people.”

[Quiet Reflection]

Our Prayer: Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church, Mother of the Head and Mother of the Mystical Body, watch over us, who are the members of the Body of Christ by our baptism. Help us, who have heard the Word of God, to fearlessly proclaim it in its entirety by word and deed. As you were filled with the Spirit of God and His grace, and gave birth to the Savior, may we too, filled with that same Spirit, promote and advance the kingdom and reign of Christ here upon earth and lead to salvation those souls for which Jesus gave up His life on the Cross.

[Mention Intention]

Pray: Say the Our Father and Hail Mary

Invocation: Our Lady of La Salette, Reconciler of Sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to thee.

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF LA SALETTE

O Most Sorrowful and Afflicted Mother, Our Lady of La Salette, who, for love of me, did shed such bitter tears during thy merciful apparition, look down with kindness upon me, as I consecrate myself to thee without reserve. From this day forward, my hope and my glory shall be to know that I am thy unworthy child.

At La Salette thou didst weep and complain over the neglect of prayer and penance, warning that this would bring many woes upon the world and individuals, with the result that both Faith and many souls will be lost. Thou didst warn that we “forget that the sins of men are the cause of all the troubles on this Earth.” Renew and strengthen in me, I beg thee, a hatred for sin; obtain for me a spirit of prayer and a love of penance—thus fulfilling the command of God: “Let him do penance for his sin!” (Leviticus 5:5) and remembering the commands of thy Son: “Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance” (Matthew 3:8) … “I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish!” (Luke 13:3). At La Salette, thou didst say: “Their prayers, their penances and their tears will rise up to Heaven and all of God’s people will beg for forgiveness and mercy and will plead for my help and intercession!” Help me acquire the degree of prayer and penance necessary to bring about forgiveness and mercy for the countless sins I have committed and the sins that I have allowed other to commit.

At La Salette, thou didst appear as a weeping and sorrowful Mother—lamenting our neglect and indifference, concerning the sins that we have committed and thy merciful intercession on our behalf. May I so henceforth live as to dry thy tears and console thy afflicted Heart. Help me overcome all my habitual sins, faults, failings and negligence; aid and encourage me in the acquisition of all the virtues that I need; obtain for me the grace to persevere in both Faith and morals, so that, with thy help, I may overcome the temptations and attacks of the devil and his cohort, the world and its allurements and the weakness of my own flesh.

At La Salette, thou didst warn that Lucifer and all the demons―as a deserved punishment for individual sins and the sins of the world―would be released upon Earth and would put an end to the Faith, little by little, because “people will think of nothing but amusement” while forgetting the treasure of the Faith with all its obligations, and “the wicked will give themselves over to all kinds of sin.” Grant, I beg thee, O terror of demons, thy never-failing protection against all the demons and their insidious schemes and attacks.

At La Salette you promised that thy spiritual children, “the children of the holy Church, the children of my Faith, my true followers, will grow in their love for God and in all the virtues most precious to me. Blessed are the souls humbly guided by the Holy Ghost! I shall fight at their side ... God will take care of His faithful servants and men of good will … I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your Faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends” (Our Lady at La Salette).

Help me, O Virgin most powerful, in this fight for the Faith. Grant and preserve in me, I beg thee, a strong Faith that will resist the gradual but universal apostasy that grows daily, while at the same time—as you foretold at La Salette--“all order and all justice will be trampled underfoot and only homicides, hate, jealousy, lies and dissension will be seen, without love for country or family.” Grant me a Faith, firm and immovable as a rock, through which I will rest tranquil and steadfast amid these crosses, toils and disappointments of life; a courageous Faith which will inspire me to undertake and carry out without hesitation, great things for God and for the salvation of souls, while resisting those, whom thou didst say, “will preach another Gospel contrary to that of the true Christ Jesus” as “true Faith has faded and false light brightens the people.”

Beloved Mother, I entrust to thee and place within thy blessed care and under thy sacred keeping—from this day forward, and especially at the hour of my death—my body and soul; all my life’s thoughts, word and actions; my sins and virtues; my failures and successes; all my hopes and joys, every trouble, anxiety and sorrow; all my life, no matter how miserable it may have been, and my life’s end.

O dearest Mother, enlighten my understanding, direct my steps, console me by thy maternal protection, so that free from all error, sheltered from every danger of sin, I may, with ardor and invincible courage, walk in the paths traced out for me by thee and thy Son. Amen.