NV-Nativity of Our Lady

NOVENA FOR THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LADY
ON SEPTEMBER 8TH

Scroll down to the bottom for the current day in the Novena

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY
To be made on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

O Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, Earth, which was to be Paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about .in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God, and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: “The star which shall arise from Jacob.” Isaias called you a Virgin: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel.” King Solomon described your beauty: “Thou art all fair, my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun.”

Mary, my Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature; so you went before and announced Jesus, “The Sun of Justice,” Who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel; consoled and cured the sick in soul and body; and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Mary, Mother of God, at the very beginning of your existence, you received grace, exceeding in greatness, that of all the saints together, because you were destined to be the Mother of the Redeemer and the Mediatrix of Grace for the world. From the first instant of your existence, your mind was filled by the supernatural light of faith and your soul with love of God. You used most perfectly every actual grace, given to you by God, by your acts of virtue. What untold merit you must have laid up for eternity, during the nine months that preceded your Nativity. Who can describe the merits and graces that adorned your soul, at the glorious instant of your Nativity, at a period when all other children have no merit!

How delightful a sight must your beautiful soul have been to Heaven! The angels saw a soul which had never been touched by Original Sin. They had seen Adam created in grace, and John the Baptist, spotless from his birth, because he had been cleansed from Original Sin in the womb of his mother before birth. In his soul they saw no more than they see in each little soul, as it leaves the baptismal font, grace having taken the place of Original Sin. But in you they saw a soul whose sanctity surpassed that of angels and of men, a soul which would glorify God more perfectly than any other creature ever had glorified Him, or ever would glorify Him. No wonder the angels were lost in admiration! They beheld the dwelling place prepared for the Son of God!

Mary, my Mother, your little life held a mystery immeasurably deeper than that of any other human life, since no mind could measure the distance that lay between the chosen Maiden, who was not only the servant of the Lord, but also His true Mother, and the rest of mankind, who were His servants and no more. You were one of us, and yet you stood above us! With my whole heart, I thank God for all He has done for you and for all mankind through you!

Mary, Mother of God, your dear parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne, rejoiced at your birth. I admire the holiness of their lives and the nobility of their family. Joachim was of the royal house of David, and Anne of the priestly family of Aaron. They observed the Law of God most diligently and spent their days in prayer and in works of mercy. Though they had both vowed to consecrate their first-born child to the service of the Lord, they remained childless, a condition considered a disgrace among the Jews and a mark of heavenly disfavor. Only after many years of fervent prayers did God reward them. You were born into the world in the humble city of Nazareth. Your birth was a miracle of the power of God, because both of your parents were far advanced in years. Who could tell the great joy, which filled their hearts, when they held you in their arms? But all Heaven rejoiced at your birth, because you were destined one day to bring the Savior into the world; you were to become God’s Mother and the Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Mary, my Mother, I rejoice with the Blessed Trinity on your birthday, because you were to take part in the Incarnation and Redemption of the world. I rejoice with all mankind, because you became the Mother of our Redeemer. I rejoice with the whole Church, because you are our life: you bore Jesus, Who is the Way and the Truth and the Life, and Who was to restore, to mankind, that supernatural life which had been lost. I have every reason to rejoice, for, as the Mother of Jesus and my Mother, you are my hope of salvation. Through your prayers, and the prayers of your holy parents, may I learn to know you, to love you, to follow you and to serve you more and more, and ever remain your faithful child. This is my sure way of reaching Heaven and my God.

Daughter of the mighty Father,
Maiden, Heaven’s brightest ray,
Angel forms around thee gather,
Dawn of Earth’s Eternal Day!

Mother of the Son and Savior
Of the Truth, the Life, the Way,
Guide our footsteps, calm our passions,
Dawn of Earth’s Eternal Day!

Spouse of the Eternal Spirit,
Blossom which will ne’er decay,
Let us but thy love inherit,
Dawn of Earth’s Eternal Day!

Daughter, Mother, Spouse of Heaven,
Hearken as we earnestly pray,
Sweetest gift to man e’er given,
Dawn of Earth’s Eternal Day!

On this joyful and glorious feast of thy most holy Nativity, I consecrate myself to thee without reserve and beg thee to be born, in spirit, in my soul this day. Thou, who wert conceived without sin, came into this sinful world in order to prepare the way for the Redeemer of the world—Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Come, then too into the world of my sinful and lukewarm soul and prepare there a worthy place for my Lord and Redeemer. I consecrate to thee 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.

Bestow on Thy servants, we beg of Thee, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace, that we, for whom the Blessed Virgin’s motherhood was the beginning of salvation, may be blessed with peace and joy on the sacred feast day of her Nativity. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

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 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The birth of Our Lady is the most important birth in human history, except for that of Our Lord Himself. It is the Birthday of all birthdays. Therefore, we should prepare for it and celebrate it like no other birthday—except for Our Lord's birthday. The birthday of Our Lady directly prepares the way for the birth of Our Lord, Whose birth brings our Redemption and Salvation. Likewise, for us to more effectively give birth to Jesus in our souls, we first need to give birth to Mary in our souls. This novena will try to realize that goal.

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 Holy Scripture, or a quote from a Saint (2) a passage on the revelations made by Our Lady to Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich or the Venerable Mary of Agreda; (3) a Meditation; (4) a Prayer; (5) after mentioning your intention, pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary; (6) a Closing Prayer.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Saviour, pray for us.
Mother of the Church, pray for us.

Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical Rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant, pray for us.
Gate of Heaven, pray for us.
Morning Star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.

Queen of Angels, pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of Confessors, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of peace, pray for us.

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, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

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

Let Us Pray:

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy everlasting happiness. Through Christ Our Lord.

R. Amen.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: The Heavenly Blueprint

Holy Scripture Says:
"If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds" (Canticles 1:7).

Reading on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
taken from The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda
and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Centuries of Preparation
Even before creation and the beginning of time, God, knowing all things and foreseeing all the future, decreed that one day, after the creation of the world and man, and after Adam and Eve's fall, God the Son was to be born of a Virgin Mother. To make sure that this Mother would be worthy of such a thing, God decided that she would have to be the purest human being who ever lived, Therefore, God ruled that she would be miraculously preserved from stain of Original Sin, not only at the time of her birth, but even from the time of her conception in her mother's womb.

However, the Incarnation of God the Son would also require a race or a nation into which He would be born. Therefore, God also decided to prepare a 'Chosen People' to serve and to worship God faithfully and to prepare the way for the Incarnation of the God-Man. Sadly, the Chosen People of Israel were often unfaithful to God. They became increasingly worldly and materialistic, which led them to hope that the promised Messias would be a man after their own heart, a great temporal and political king, who would free them from the shackles and political power of their oppressors, the Romans and bring them power and wealth. Very few people had a correct and godly idea of what the Messias would really be. He would be a man who would reject worldliness, wealth and power, preferring to love and serve God in a spirit of humility and detachment from the world.

It was from among these families that God, by His Providence and His grace, prepared, formed and guided the ancestors of His future Mother. They were extremely simple and devout persons, very gentle and peace-loving and charitable. Out of love for God, they always lived a very mortified life. Often the married couples practiced continence over long periods of time, particularly during holy religious seasons, for their highest ideal was to raise saintly children who in turn would contribute toward bringing salvation to the world. They lived in small rural communities, and they did not engage in business. They worked on the land and tended flocks of sheep; they also had gardens and orchards. They were very conscientious in fulfilling their religious duties. Whenever they had to go to Jerusalem to offer their sacrifices in the Temple, they prepared themselves by prayer and fasting and penance. When traveling, they always helped, as best they could, any sick persons or beggars whom they met. And because they led such an austere and detached life, these good people had to endure the scorn of many of the other Jews.

Thus Mary's grandparents inherited from their ancestors a love of humility, chastity, mortification and the simple life. Her mother, St. Anne, and her father, St. Joachim, were the very finest products of this long line of pure and holy servants of God. St. Anne was born in Bethlehem of rich parents, who owned many flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. But they regularly gave away to the poor a large part of their possessions and kept very little for themselves. After Anne's birth, they moved to a beautiful country estate at Sephoris, near Nazareth.

The Marriage of Anne and Joachim
From her childhood, Anne loved to pray and to think about God, but she also grew to be an industrious helper around the home. In fact, while very modest and retiring, she became such a model daughter, that other mothers used to tell their young girls to imitate her. And the more she learned about the awaited coming of the Savior, the more ardently did she pray that God might hasten that happy event.

St. Anne was around her early twenties at the time of her marriage to St. Joachim, who was in his early forties. Joachim was far from handsome. St. Joseph, though no longer young, was in comparison a very handsome man. Joachim was short and broad and at the same time thin, and a wonderfully pious, holy man.

They made their home on the estate of Anne’s father, Eliud. His house belonged to the town of Sephoris, but was some distance away from it, among a group of houses of which it was the largest. Both Anne and Joachim had been serious even in their youth. Now as they matured, they made a distinguished and devout couple. There was something very distinguished about both Joachim and Anne; and there was in them, unknown to themselves, a wonderful seriousness. Though they seldom laughed, they were certainly not sad people. They had a serene and even character, and, even in their young days, they seemed a little like calm and sedate old people.

Meditation

"Even before creation and the beginning of time." Just as God thought of Mary, even before the beginning of time, so too did God think of you before the beginning of time. Likewise, just as God created a blueprint for His Blessed Mother, so too did God create a blueprint for you. The blueprint is a something that shows how the maker/builder wants to something to look like, turn-out like, after it is made. God knew what He wanted you to be like once you entered this world. He has a blueprint for your sanctity, the level and degree of sanctity He expects you to attain; a sanctity that is also possible, because God never sets a goal without giving us the means to attain that goal. Have you spoken to Him about that blueprint? Are you interested in that blueprint? Are you afraid of the blueprint?

"To make sure that this Mother would be worthy of such a thing, God decided that she would have to be the purest human being who ever lived." This quote is obviously linked to the previous one. God is perfect. God expects perfection. Nothing that is imperfect, even slightly imperfect, is allowed into Heaven. "I am the Almighty God: walk before Me, and be perfect" (Genesis 17:1). "Thou shalt be perfect, and without spot before the Lord thy God"(Deuteronomy 18:13).

The seed or beginning of perfection is keeping the Commandments of God: "Let our hearts also be perfect with the Lord our God, that we may walk in His statutes, and keep His Commandments" (3 Kings 8:61). However, that seed has to grow, for keeping the Commandments is starting out on the way to perfection, but it is not perfection itself. Our Lord shows this in His encounter with rich young man in the Gospels:

“And behold one came and said to Jesus: ‘Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting?’ Jesus said to him: ‘If thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments!’ ... The young man saith to Him: ‘All these I have kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me?’ Jesus saith to him: ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come follow Me!’ And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad: for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!’” (Matthew 19:16-23.

Let us respond by saying: "I shall be perfect with Him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity" (2 Kings 22:24).

"She would be miraculously preserved from stain of Original Sin." St. James tells us to "keep one's selfunspotted from this world" (James 1:27). If we could could only say those words of Holy Scripture: "I am clean, and without sin: I am unspotted, and there is no iniquity in me" (Job 33:9). Our Lady is the only one of our human race who can utter those words in all sincerity and truth. "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (1 John 1:10). Yet, despite our sins, we need to turn "to Him Who is able to preserve you without sin, and to present you spotless before the presence of His glory" (Jude 1:24). To Him, Who said to Mary Magdalen,
"Go, and now sin no more" (John 8:11); and Who said to the man He had cured: "Behold thou art made whole: sin nomore, lest some worse thing happen to thee" (John 5:14).

The more we cleanse ourselves from sin, the more we become true children of Mary and adopted children of God. Our Lord still told us to be perfect: "Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." That is our blueprint. Nothing less than perfection will get us into Heaven--at best, only Purgatory; or at worst, well, we all know about that other place. Yet, we must remember that when God gives us a goal, He also provides the means. We can either use the means or neglect the means. As we sow so shall we reap, or if you pardon my English: "We gets whats we pays for!"

Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, earth, which was to be paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors, patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: "The star which shall arise from Jacob." Isaias called you a Virgin; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel." King Solomon described your beauty: "Thou art all fair my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun."

[Mention Intention]

Mary, My Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature, so you went before and announced Jesus, "The Sun of Justice," who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel, consoled and cured the sick in soul and body and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: God's Ways and Our Ways

Holy Scripture Says:
"If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds" (Canticles 1:7).

Reading on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
taken from The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda
and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Married Life & the Cross of Barenness
Though Joachim and Anne were quite wealthy, they lived very economically and charitably. Their parents were well-to-do, they had many flocks and herds, beautiful carpets and household things, and many man-servants and maid-servants. I never saw them cultivating the fields, but often saw them driving cattle out to pasture. They were very pious, devout, charitable, simple, and upright.

Each year they divided all their rents and income and sheep into three parts. Then they gave one-third to the Temple for God's service, one-third to the poor, and they kept only what was left. And yet their flocks and herds continued to increase amazingly. They lived very frugally and gave to all who asked. Very often they gave food to poor travelers and lambs to their needy relatives.

In their home they frequently talked together about God and the coming of the Redeemer, for which they prayed long and fervently. In His wisdom Almighty God proceeded to purify them still further by giving them a heavy cross to bear, a cross which only grew heavier as the years passed: they remained childless. Among the Israelites in those times, this was considered not only the greatest misfortune and disgrace socially, but also a clear indication that the Lord thought such a couple unworthy to contribute toward the coining of the Messias. And so Anne and Joachim had to suffer increasing contempt and even insults from their neighbors and acquaintances. But they took these humiliations with patience and continued to pray that God might bless their marriage with children.

Moving Away for a Holier Life
Anne and Joachim had lived with Anne's father Eliud for some seven years, when they decided to separate from their parents and settle in a house with land in the neighborhood of Nazareth that had come to them from Joachim's parents. There they intended in seclusion to begin their married life anew, a much more mortified and holy life, so as to bring down God's blessing on their union by a way of life more pleasing to Him. For, in their profound humility, they felt that their great affliction was entirely due to their own unworthiness before the Lord. They also increased their charity and gifts to the poor. And they trained themselves in continence, for they always aspired to greater purity. They even took a solemn vow to dedicate their child, if God gave them one, to His service in the Temple. Thus they lived through another thirteen long, trying years, living devoutly before God in constant yearning for the gift of fruitfulness and with an increasing distress. Ill-disposed neighbors would come to them and speaking ill of them, saying that they must be bad people, since no children were born to them. Each time they heard such words, the distress of the good couple was renewed.

Anne's steadfast faith was supported by an inmost certainty that the coming of the Messias was near, and that she herself was among His human relations. She prayed for the fulfillment of the Promise with loud supplications, and both she and Joachim were always striving after more perfect purity of life. The shame of her unfruitfulness distressed her deeply. She could hardly appear in the synagogue without affront. Joachim, though short and thin, was robust, and I often saw him going to Jerusalem with the beasts for sacrifice. Anne was not tall either, and very delicately formed. Her grief so consumed her that her cheeks, though still slightly tinged with red, were quite hollow. They continued to give portions of their herds to the Temple and to the poor, while the portion they kept for themselves grew ever smaller and smaller.

Meditation

"They were quite wealthy, they lived very economically and charitably. They lived very frugally and gave to all who asked." Holy Scripture tells us that: "He that hath the substance of this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him?" (1 John 3:17). They had been blessed with material substance and what they received freely, they gave freely. Not having been blessed with a child, they could have been tempted to indulge in what they had, but they mortified themselves nonetheless.

"In their home they frequently talked together about God." We are supposed to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. We cannot hold back talking about the things we love. Joachim and Anne loved God, and so they frequently talked about God. What do I talk about the most? What do I think about the most? What do I read about the most? Tell me what it is and I will tell you if you really love God as you should.

"They prayed long and fervently." Prayer was not just fitted-in somewhere between chores and completed as quickly as possible, so as to be able to get on with other things. Nor was prayer said lukewarmly. It says that they prayed "long and fervently", which shows they had a real and deep love for God, giving Him much time and sincere heartfelt attention.

"Almighty God proceeded to purify them still further by giving them a heavy cross to bear, a cross which only grew heavier as the years passed." In Holy Scripture we read: "Then Jesus said to His disciples: 'If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me'" (Matthew 16:24). The closer we draw to God, the more He rewards us—not with the sweet things of life, but with more crosses. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. His idea of fun is not our idea of fun. His idea of a reward is not our idea of a reward.

"They intended in seclusion to begin their married life anew, a much more mortified and holy life, so as to bring down God's blessing on their union by a way of life more pleasing to Him." The spiritual life is not about taking things more easily, but about mortifying ourselves more and more. Normally, in the world, when someone goes up the promotional ladder, they often do less work and get paid more money. Not so with God! The more we go up the promotional ladder, the more work we do, the heavier crosses we have to carry, and the less we SEEM to get paid for it—until we die of course! As they say: "Working for God does not pay very much, but the fringe benefits are out of this world!"

Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, earth, which was to be paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors, patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: "The star which shall arise from Jacob." Isaias called you a Virgin; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel." King Solomon described your beauty: "Thou art all fair my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun."

[Mention Intention]

Mary, My Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature, so you went before and announced Jesus, "The Sun of Justice," who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel, consoled and cured the sick in soul and body and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: To Be Loved By God, You Will Be Hated By The World

Holy Scripture Says:
"If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds" (Canticles 1:7).

Reading on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
taken from The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda
and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Salt in the Wounds
Then one day when Joachim was offering his sacrifices in the Temple, the priest rebuked and insulted him, saying: "Why do you come here, Joachim? Your offerings are not acceptable to the Lord!" His face burning with shame, the poor man withdrew to a corner of the Temple and prayed: "O Lord, my sins merit this disgrace. But as I accept it according to Thy will, do not cast me away...." Then with a sore heart he left the city and went to some of his flocks on the distant slopes of Mount Hermon. He was so troubled that he stayed there in prayer and penance for several months without communicating with Anne.

Through friends she heard about his being reproached by the priest, and this only added to her keen suffering. She often wept, lying flat on the ground in her room. Once when she refused to allow a lightheaded servant to go out to a party, the girl exclaimed bitterly: "God has inflicted a double punishment on you because you are so severe: you are sterile —and now your husband has abandoned you!" With a sad heart Anne sent the girl back to her family.

God Intervenes
Upon kindly and mercifully answering the persevering prayers of Joachim and Anne, almighty God informed the angels: "Joachim and Anne have found grace in Our eyes; We look upon them with pleasure and shall enrich them with choicest gifts and graces. They have been faithful and constant in their trials; and, in simplicity and uprightness their souls, have become acceptable and pleasing before Us. Let Gabriel, as Our ambassador, bring tidings of joy for them and for the whole human race; let him announce to them, that, in Our condescension, We have looked upon them and chosen them."

Thus the celestial spirits were instructed in regard to the will and the decree of the Almighty. The holy archangel Gabriel humbled himself before the throne of the most blessed Trinity, adoring and revering the divine Majesty, in the manner which befits these most pure and spiritual substances. From the throne an intellectual voice proceeded, saying: "Gabriel, enlighten, vivify and console Joachim and Anne, Our servants, and tell them, that their prayers have come to Our presence and their petitions are heard in clemency. Promise them, that, by the favor of Our right hand, they will receive the Fruit of benediction, and that Anne shall conceive a Daughter, to whom We give the name of MARY."

The angel approached Joachim, while he was in prayer, saying to him: "Just and upright man, the Almighty from his sovereign throne has taken notice of thy desires and has heard thy sighs and prayers, and has made thee fortunate on earth. Thy spouse Anne shall conceive and bear a daughter, who shall be blessed among women (Luke 1:42, 48). The nations shall know her as the Blessed. He who is the eternal God, uncreated, and the Creator of all, most upright in His judgments, powerful and strong, sends me to thee, because thy works and alms have been acceptable. Love has softened the heart of the Almighty, and has hastened His mercies, and, in His generosity, He wishes to enrich thy house and thy family with a daughter, whom Anne shall conceive; the Lord Himself has chosen for her the name of MARY.

Meditation

"The priest rebuked and insulted him, saying: 'Why do you come here, Joachim? Your offerings are not acceptable to the Lord!'"
You would think that if we are pleasing to God, then He would bless us and reward us! We can understand Providence dishing-out this kind of treatment to sinners, but to His loved ones?! God chastises those whom He loves:"For whom the Lord loveth, He chastiseth; and He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth" (Hebrews 12:6).
God loved nobody more than His own Son, and look how He treated Him! God loved no creature more than Mary, and look at the sorrows and trials He put her through—even from her infancy! God loved His saints, and look at the trials and tribulations they had to go through. So let us have a realistic outlook on life: if we want to love God, we will be hated by those who do not want to love Him, namely, the world. Jesus said: "If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated Me before you" (John 15:18).

"His face burning with shame, the poor man withdrew to a corner of the Temple and prayed: 'O Lord, my sins merit this disgrace. But as I accept it according to Thy will, do not cast me away!'...."
Humility is the key to God's heart: "He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble" (Luke 1:52). "Humility is an abomination to the proud" (Ecclesiasticus 13:24), but "Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 16:5). We have more pride than we realize and care to admit. "Every way of a man seemeth right to himself: but the Lord weigheth the hearts" (Proverbs 21;2). Perhaps this will drive the point home: We have more pride than God Himself! "Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble of heart!" (Matthew 11:29). Ever thought about that? Like Joachim, let us withdraw, faces burning with shame, to a corner in the temple of our soul and pray: "My sins merit disgrace, I have nothing to be proud about! Do not cast me away, Lord!"

"Once when she refused to allow a lightheaded servant to go out to a party, the girl exclaimed bitterly: 'God has inflicted a double punishment on you because you are so severe: you are sterile—and now your husband has abandoned you!'"
How often do we judge wrongly! "You are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is high to men, is an abomination before God" (Luke 16:15). "And the Lord said to Samuel: I do not judge according to the look of man: for man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart" (1 Kings 16:7). "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways My ways,' saith the Lord" (Isaias 55:8). The gift of Wisdom makes us see things as God see them, and judge them as God judges them. Let us humbly ask for the gift of Wisdom, so that we may see things divinely and not humanly!

We see God "kindly and mercifully answering the persevering prayers of Joachim and Anne."
We are sometimes sometimes so impatient with God! If not explicitly, then implicitly. We ask Him for things, or help, or a favor for a day or two, maybe a week or two at best, and then our spirits sag and we get discouraged—God hasn't answered! So we give up! Do you remember Our Lord's instructions in the Gospels? "He spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint, saying: 'There was a judge in a certain city, who feared not God, nor regarded man. And there was a certain widow in that city, and she came to him, saying: 'Avenge me of my adversary!' And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself: 'Although I fear not God, nor regard man, yet, because this widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she weary me'"(Luke 18:1). Let us not forget that St. Monica was herself an importunate widow, who tirelessly banged on the doors of Heaven, until God heard her prayers and converted her son—St. Augustine. Not only did God convert him, but God made him a priest, a bishop and later a Father and Doctor of the Church, and a saint on top of that! The longer God makes us wait, the more He gives in the end!

"We look upon them with pleasure and shall enrich them with choicest gifts and graces. They have been faithful and constant in their trials."
Our Lord warned us: "You shall be hated by all men for My Name's sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved" (Matthew 10:22). Joachim and Anne we "faithful and constant in their trials" and so they were finally rewarded. Repeat often the prayer of St. Teresa of Avila: "Let nothing disturb thee; let nothing affright thee; all things are passing. God never changes. Patient endurance attains all things. God alone suffices."

"Love has softened the heart of the Almighty, and has hastened His mercies."
Love is the soul of all the virtues. It is what God looks for in all that we think, say and do. We speak, of course, of a love of God, not a love of self or a natural love of neighbor. All is to be loved for God's sake. St. Paul tells us that if we have all knowledge, or speak with the tongues of angels, or perform miracles, or give all to the poor, or let ourselves be martyred--if any or all of this is done without a love of God and from some other motive, it serves or profits us nothing. Love brings about mercy: "Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less" (Luke 7:47). Love softens God's Heart, yet love is not soft, just as God is not soft. Love is not afraid to correct and punish—as we in the case of St. Anne, who dismissed the servant who wrongfully insulted and accused her.

"They will receive the Fruit of benediction ... to whom We give the name of MARY."
The greatest gift that God can give us, outside of Himself, is Mary. Yet, because she is a masterpiece, we have to be worthy to enter into the sanctuary that is Mary. Most souls remain outside in the courtyard of Mary, few enter into her sanctuary. The True Devotion to Mary seeks to help souls better themselves and prepare themselves to enter this holy sanctuary of God's. Have we made the True Devotion Consecration? If we have made it, how well do we live it? Is it left on the shelf and forgotten about once we have made it? Or is fruitfully growing in souls day by day?
Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, earth, which was to be paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors, patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: "The star which shall arise from Jacob." Isaias called you a Virgin; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel." King Solomon described your beauty: "Thou art all fair my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun."

[Mention Intention]

Mary, My Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature, so you went before and announced Jesus, "The Sun of Justice," who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel, consoled and cured the sick in soul and body and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Perseverance and Gratitude

Holy Scripture Says:
"If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds" (Canticles 1:7).

Reading on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
taken from The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda
and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

The angel continued with his message to Joachim: "From her childhood let her [Mary] be consecrated to the Temple, and in it to God, as thou hast promised. She shall be elect, exalted, powerful and full of the Holy Ghost; on account of the sterility of Anne, her conception shall be miraculous; she shall be a daughter wonderful in all her doings and in all her life. Praise the Lord, Joachim, for this benefit and magnify Him, for in no other nation has He wrought the like. Thou shalt go to give thanks in the Temple of Jerusalem and in testimony of the truth of this joyful message, thou shalt meet, in the Golden Gate, thy sister Anne, who is coming to the Temple for the same purpose. Remember that marvelous is this message, for the Conception of this child shall rejoice Heaven and earth."

That evening St. Anne was sitting under a great tree in her garden, reading prayers on a parchment roll and begging God to send Joachim home and to let them have at least one child—she was now forty-four. Just then the Archangel Gabriel suddenly appeared before her in a resplendent human form and declared: "Anne, servant of God. The Lord has heard thy petitions. If He delays their fulfillment, it is in order to prepare thee and to give thee much more than thou askest. The Most High has resolved to give thee and Joachim holy and wonderful fruit, for those who pray to Him in humble confidence are most agreeable to Him. Now He sends me to give thee joyful news: He chooses thee to be the mother of her who is to give birth to the Redeemer of mankind! Thou shalt bring forth a daughter and she shall be called Mary. She shall be blessed among women and filled with the Holy Ghost. I have announced to Joachim that he shall have a holy daughter, but he does not know that she is to be the Mother of the Messias. Therefore guard this secret. And now go to the Temple to give thanks to the Lord, and thou shalt meet Joachim at the Golden Gate."

Gabriel vanished, and St. Anne's humble heart was so overflowing with amazement, heavenly joy and gratitude, that the Holy Spirit sustained her lest she faint. She immediately prostrated herself on the ground and, for a long time, poured out her thanks to God, with tears of happiness. That night she dreamed that an angel came and wrote the name of Mary, in big luminous letters, on the wall of her room, and after midnight she awoke and saw the large bright letters. Deeply moved, she kept gazing at them and thinking lovingly of this marvelous daughter, Mary, until the letters disappeared with the dawn. Then she arose, prepared herself for the trip to Jerusalem, and left with a servant. She was so deeply happy that she looked much younger.

Meanwhile, Joachim had been visited by the Archangel Gabriel during the night, while he slept among his flocks. Gabriel told him that Anne was going to give birth to a blessed daughter, who was to be consecrated to God, and that he should go and give thanks in the Temple, where he would meet Anne at the Golden Gate. Joachim awoke filled with joyful consolation and hastened to Jerusalem.

Meditation

"Her conception shall be miraculous; she shall be a daughter wonderful in all her doings and in all her life. Praise the Lord, Joachim! Thou shalt go to give thanks in the Temple of Jerusalem"
What wonderful things has God not done for us! We have been given the Faith! Do you really understand what that means? "Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6). How many people in past centuries DID NOT and how many today DO NOT have the Faith? Today, only 1 in 6 people in the world have the Faith! Most of those have the Faith in name only, but no longer practice the Faith. They are the 'walking dead' who are blindly walking towards the eternal pit. How and why has your Faith been preserved from being lost in this mass apostasy of today? You would not be reading this if you were among the vast hordes who have lost or are losing their Faith. Is this not a miracle of grace? Yet how much do you thank God for this EACH DAY? Just as when Our Lord cured the ten lepers, only one was found to have come back and given thanks to God!

"The Lord has heard thy petitions. If He delays their fulfillment, it is in order to prepare thee and to give thee much more than thou askest."
We spoke of this yesterday, referring to the Scriptural "Importunate Widow" and likening her to St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, who prayed for many years, just like St. Anne, until God finally heard and answered her prayers. When He did finally answer them, He opened wide the floodgates of Heaven and what St. Anne and St. Monica received was beyond their wildest dreams! That is why Our Lord tells us Scripture that "we ought always topray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1).

"She immediately prostrated herself on the ground and for a long time poured out her thanks to God with tears of happiness."
Too often, when we receive some great grace from God—not least the forgiveness of our many sins in the Sacrament of Confession, or Our Lord Himself in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar—we take these things too much for granted. In effect, we cheapen the wonderful gifts of God.

Scripture tells us that "Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works" (Psalm 144:9). Yet how long and with what fervor do we thank God for having forgiven us our sins?—Remember, sin is the greatest evil in the world!

When we have received Jesus in Holy Communion, for how long, and with what fervor, do we thank Him for this unimaginable gift? Most churches are empty of most of their occupants within minutes, or even seconds, of the Mass having finished. Broad and wide is the road and gate that leads to the parking lot or the coffee and donuts, and may there are that go in thereat; narrow is the path of thanksgiving and few there are that find it! "Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!" (Matthew 7:13-14).

Anne and Joachim shows us both the virtues of perseverance and gratitude. Let us learn from them, and make the necessary changes in our lives!

Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, earth, which was to be paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors, patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: "The star which shall arise from Jacob." Isaias called you a Virgin; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel." King Solomon described your beauty: "Thou art all fair my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun."

[Mention Intention]

Mary, My Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature, so you went before and announced Jesus, "The Sun of Justice," who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel, consoled and cured the sick in soul and body and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: A Work of Holiness

Holy Scripture Says:
"If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds" (Canticles 1:7).

Reading on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
taken from The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda
and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

We saw yesterday how God finally rewarded Joachim and Anne, after subjecting them to much humiliation and many anxieties. Their love of God was tested and they persevered through all their difficulties without falling into lukewarmness nor despair, even though they were greatly saddened and discouraged at times. We resume the account of what happened next:

Meanwhile, Joachim had been visited by the Archangel Gabriel during the night, while he slept among his flocks. Gabriel told him that Anne was going to give birth to a blessed daughter, who was to be consecrated to God, and that he should go and give thanks in the Temple, where he would meet Anne at the Golden Gate. Joachim awoke filled with joyful consolation and hastened to Jerusalem.

This time the Holy Ghost moved the priests in the Temple to accept Joachim's offerings. Then two priests led him into the Holy Place and left him there alone, after burning incense on the altar. While Joachim prayed on his knees with his arms extended, a bright angel appeared and told him that his childlessness was not a disgrace but an honor, for the child who was to be born of his wife would be the most perfect flower of the race of Abraham. Next the angel anointed his forehead, and gave him a certain mystic blessing which freed him from all sensuality.

St. Anne had just made her offering in another part of the Temple, and as she made her way to the Golden Gate, she met Joachim. Then each told the other what had happened, and together they gave fervent thanks to God for His marvelous answer to all their prayers. Later St. Anne and St. Joachim left Jerusalem and returned to their home near Nazareth, where they gave a great feast for the poor and distributed alms abundantly.

Thus did Almighty God prepare and purify Mary's good parents until the great day at last came when the glorious mystery of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God took place.

As the opportune and pre-ordained time had arrived, the three divine Persons conferred with each other saying:

“Now is the time to begin the work of Our pleasure and to call into existence that pure Creature and that soul, which is to find grace in Our eyes above all the rest. Let Us furnish her with the richest gifts and let Us deposit in her the great treasures of Our grace. Since all others, whom We called into existence, have turned out ungrateful and rebellious to Our wishes, frustrating Our intention and impeding by their own fault Our purpose, let Us therefore create this being in entire sanctity and perfection, so that the disorder of the first sin shall have no part in her. Let Us create a soul according to Our pleasure, a fruit of Our attributes, a marvel of Our infinite power, without touch or blemish of the sin of Adam. All have sinned in the free will and resolve of the first man; let her be the sole creature in whom We restore and execute that which they in their aberration have lost. Let her be a most special image and likeness of Our Divinity and let her be in Our presence for all eternity the culmination of Our good will and pleasure. In her We deposit all the prerogatives and graces which in Our first and conditional resolve We had destined for the angels and men, if they had remained in their first estate. What they have lost We renew in that Creature and We will add to these gifts many others. We will set her apart from the ordinary law, by which the rest of the mortals are brought into existence, for in her the seed of the serpent shall have no part. I will descend from Heaven into her womb and in it vest Myself from her substance with human nature. It is befitting and due to the infinite goodness of Our Divinity, that It be founded and enclosed in the most pure matter, untouched and unstained by fault and therefore she shall be free from the death of sin.”

“On earth, the Word shall have a Mother without a father, as in Heaven He has a Father without a mother. And in order that there may be the proper correspondence, proportion and consonance in calling God His Father and this woman his Mother, We desire that the highest correspondence and approach possible between a creature and its God be established. Therefore at no time shall the dragon boast of being superior to the Woman, whom God will obey as His true Mother. This dignity of being free from sin is due and corresponds to that of being Mother of the Word, and it is in itself even more estimable and useful. It is a greater good to be holy, than to be only mother; but all sanctity and perfection is nevertheless due to the motherhood of God. The human flesh, from which He is to assume form, must be free from sin. Since He is to redeem in it the sinners, He must not be under the necessity of redeeming His own flesh, like that of sinners. Being united to the Divinity His humanity is to be the price of Redemption, wherefore it must before all be preserved from sin, and We have already foreseen and accepted the merits of the Word in this very flesh and human nature. We wish that for all eternities the Word should be glorified through this tabernacle and habitation of the human nature.”

This was the decree which the three divine Persons made known to the holy angels, exalting the glory and honor of their high and inscrutable judgments.

Meditation

“Now is the time to begin the work...”
Are we wasting our time in this world? Are we doing the work we are supposed to be doing? What is our main preoccupation? Family? Work? Hobby? Friends or social life? Holy Scripture tells us: ”For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). ”That the man of God be perfect, furnished to every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17). ”Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

St. Louis de Montfort writes: ”Chosen soul, living image of God and redeemed by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, God wants you to become holy like Him in this life, and glorious like Him in the next (Matthew 5:48). It is certain that growth in the holiness of God is your vocation. All your thoughts, words, actions, everything you suffer or undertake, must lead you towards that end. Otherwise you are resisting God, in not doing the work for which He created you and for which He is even now keeping you in being.” (St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of Mary).

When the angel appeared the second time, to the three children at Fatima, he found them playing—a normal, innocent, harmless occupation, especially for children you would say. What did the angel say? He scolded them, saying: ”What are you doing? Pray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High.” Pray a great deal, he says. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually, he says. ”But these are only children!!!” you say. Talk to Our Lady about that. At Fatima she showed and terrified the children with a vision of Hell (not quite the kind of movie that we show our little children). She even dared ask them: ”Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the conversion of sinners? ... Then you are going to have much to suffer!”

Well, if the angel, Our Lady and God expect that of little children, what should you be expecting of them? If he (and God) expects that of little children, what is expected of us? Don’t get angry and excited, now! I’m only the messenger. You do as you want, but Our Lord in Holy Scripture reminds us: ”But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). Only saints make it to Heaven? How is your work of holiness progressing? How is the work of holiness progressing in those you are responsible for? ”Every way of a man seemeth right to himself” (Proverbs 21:2). How about asking God instead of yourself. His answer will be closer to the truth. We tend to color things a little.

“All others, whom We called into existence, have turned out ungrateful and rebellious to Our wishes, frustrating Our intention and impeding by their own fault Our purpose.”
On the gauge or thermometer of ingratitude, or that of rebellion, or that of frustrating God’s plans—where do we stand? St. Paul seems to speak of this kind of person being common in our day: ”Know also this, that, in the last days, shall come dangerous times. Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked, without affection, without peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness, traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasures more than of God: having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Now these avoid” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Let us avoid being like that and let us avoid people like that. It will not do the work of our holiness any good.

Though we may be baptized, though we may go to Church, though we may pray—are we perhaps, nevertheless, frustrating God’s plans? Jesus complains: ”Why call you Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). ”Not every one that saith to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but he that doth the will of My Father Who is in Heaven, he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Sr. Lucia said to Fr. Fuentes, regarding Our Lady’s Fatima messages: ”Father, the Blessed Virgin is very sad because no one heeds her message; neither the good nor the bad. The good continue on with their life of virtue and apostolate, but they do not unite their lives to the message of Fatima. Sinners keep following the road of evil because they do not see the terrible chastisement about to befall them.” [Because few are preaching and teaching it, and most people avoid talking about it].

Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, earth, which was to be paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors, patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: "The star which shall arise from Jacob." Isaias called you a Virgin; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel." King Solomon described your beauty: "Thou art all fair my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun."

[Mention Intention]

Mary, My Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature, so you went before and announced Jesus, "The Sun of Justice," who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel, consoled and cured the sick in soul and body and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Fighting For Mary, Fighting Alongside Mary

Holy Scripture Says:
"If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds" (Canticles 1:7).

Reading on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
taken from The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda
and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Yesterday we read how God decreed that the time for Mary's entry into the scheme of things had finally come. Today we continue with the next stage in God's plans and His commands to the angels.

“Now the time has arrived” continued His Majesty, ”which was resolved upon by Our Providence for bringing to light the creature most pleasing and acceptable to Our eyes. That creature, in whom the human nature is freed from its first sin, who is to crush the head of the dragon, who was typified by that singular sign, the woman that appeared in the heavens in Our presence, and who is to clothe the eternal Word with human flesh. The hour is at hand, so blessed for mortals, in which the treasures of Our Divinity are to be opened and the gates of Heaven to be unlocked. Let the rigor of Our justice be softened by the chastisements, which We have until now executed upon the mortals; let the attribute of Our mercy become manifest; let the creatures be enriched, and let the divine Word merit for them the treasures of grace and of eternal glory.”

“Now let the human race receive the Repairer, the Teacher, the Brother and Friend, to be Life for mortals, a Medicine for the sick, a Consoler for the sorrowful, a Balsam for the wounded, a Guide and Companion for those in difficulties. Let now the prophecies of Our servants and the promises made to them, that We would send a Savior to redeem them, be fulfilled. And in order that all may be executed according to Our good pleasure, and that We may give a beginning to the mystery hidden since the constitution of the world, We select for the formation of Our beloved Mary, the womb of Our servant Anne; in her be she conceived and, in her, let that most blessed soul be created. Although her generation and formation shall proceed according to the usual order of natural propagation, it shall be different in the order of grace, according to the ordainment of Our Almighty power.”

“You already know how the ancient serpent, since he saw the sign of this marvelous Woman, attempts to circumvent all women, and how, from the first one created, he persecutes all those, whom he sees excelling in the perfection of their works and life, expecting to find among them the one, who is to crush his head (Genesis 3:15). When he shall encounter this most pure and spotless creature, he shall find her so holy, that he will exert all his powers to persecute her, in pursuance of the concept which he forms of her. But the arrogance of this dragon shall be greater than his powers (Isaias 16:6); and it is Our will that you [angels] have particular charge of this Our holy city and tabernacle of the incarnate Word, protecting, guarding, assisting and defending her against Our enemies, and that you enlighten, strengthen and console her with all due solicitude and reverence, as long as she shall be a wayfarer among the mortals.”

Meditation

“Now the time has arrived, which was resolved upon by Our Providence for bringing to light the creature ...who is to crush the head of the dragon”

We are living in the times that will usher in the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She will crush the satanic influence in the world today. St. Louis de Montfort depicts this most beautifully in his book, True Devotion to Mary:”Mary must shine forth more than ever in mercy, in might and in grace, in these latter times: in mercy, to bring back and lovingly receive the poor strayed sinners who shall be converted and shall return to the Catholic Church; in might, against the enemies of God, idolaters, schismatics, Mahometans, Jews and souls hardened in impiety, who shall rise in terrible revolt against God, to seduce all those who shall oppose them, and to make them fall by promises and threats; and finally, she must shine forth in grace, in order to animate and sustain the valiant soldiers and faithful servants of Jesus Christ, who shall battle for His interests. And lastly, Mary must be terrible to the devil and his crew, as an army ranged in battle, principally in these latter times, because the devil, knowing that he has but little time, and now less than ever, to destroy souls, will every day redouble his efforts and his combats” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

“We select for the formation of Our beloved Mary, the womb of Our servant Anne; in her be she conceived and, in her, let that most blessed soul be created.”

God used St. Anne to bring Mary into the world over 2,000 years today. Today, God again wishes to bring Mary into the world. At Fatima, Our Lady said: ”You have seen Hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart ... Jesus wants to use you to make me known and loved. He wishes to establish the devotion to my Immaculate Heart throughout the world. I promise salvation to whoever embraces it.”

God wished to make use of you, I and many others, to bring devotion to Mary into the world. Yet most people couldn't care less, as is seen by these words of St. Lucia to Fr. Fuentes: ”Father, the Blessed Virgin is very sad because no one heeds her message; neither the good nor the bad. The good continue on with their life of virtue and apostolate, but they do not unite their lives to the message of Fatima. Sinners keep following the road of evil because they do not see the terrible chastisement about to befall them.” We have probably read these words a hundred times, yet they leave us unmoved, like water flowing off a duck's back, like a teenager being told for the umpteenth time by his parents to go and do some chore, but fails to move and merely utters “Uhuh!” When will we move into action and help give birth to a true devotion to the Immaculate Heart?

“The ancient serpent persecutes all those, whom he sees excelling in the perfection of their works and life.”

St. Louis de Montfort writes: ”The devil will presently raise up cruel persecutions and will put terrible snares before the faithful servants and true children of Mary, whom it gives him more trouble to conquer than it does to conquer others ... It is principally of these last and cruel persecutions of the devil, which shall go on increasing daily till the reign of Antichrist, that we ought to understand that first and celebrated prediction and curse of God pronounced in the terrestrial paradise against the serpent: “I will put enmities between thee and the woman and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.” (Genesis 3:15).” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

“God has never made and formed but one enmity; but it is an irreconcilable one, which shall endure and grow even to the end. It is between Mary, His worthy Mother, and the devil – between the children and the servants of the Blessed Virgin, and the children and tools of Lucifer. The most terrible of all the enemies, which God has set up against the devil, is His holy Mother Mary. He has inspired her, even since the days of the earthly paradise – though she existed then only in His idea – with so much hatred against that cursed enemy of God, with so much ingenuity in unveiling the malice of that ancient serpent, with so much power to conquer, to overthrow and to crush that proud, impious rebel, that he fears her not only more than all angels and men, but, in a sense, more than God Himself. Not that the anger, the hatred and the power of God are not infinitely greater than those of the Blessed Virgin, for the perfections of Mary are limited; but first, because Satan, being proud, suffers infinitely more from being beaten and punished by a little and humble handmaid of God, and her humility humbles him more than the divine power; and secondly, because God has given Mary such great power against the devils that – as they have often been obliged to confess, in spite of themselves, by the mouths of the possessed – they fear one of her sighs, for a soul, more than the prayers of all the saints, and one of her threats against them, more than all other torments.” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

“God has not only set an enmity, but enmities, not simply between Mary and the devil, but between the race of the Holy Virgin and the race of the devil; that is to say, God has set enmities, antipathies and secret hatreds between the true children and servants of Mary and the children and slaves of the devil. They have no love for each other. They have no sympathy for each other. The children of Belial, the slaves of Satan, the friends of the world (for it is the same thing) have always, up to this time, persecuted those who belong to our Blessed Lady, and will, in the future, persecute them more than ever; just as Cain, of old, persecuted his brother Abel, and Esau his brother Jacob, who are the figures of the reprobate and the predestinate. But the humble Mary will always have the victory over that proud spirit, and so great a victory that she will go so far as to crush his head, where his pride dwells. She will always discover the malice of the serpent. She will always lay bare his infernal plots and dissipate his diabolical councils, and even to the end of time will guard her faithful servants from his cruel claw.” (St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary).

Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, earth, which was to be paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors, patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: "The star which shall arise from Jacob." Isaias called you a Virgin; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel." King Solomon described your beauty: "Thou art all fair my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun."

[Mention Intention]

Mary, My Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature, so you went before and announced Jesus, "The Sun of Justice," who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel, consoled and cured the sick in soul and body and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Cleansing Our Corruption

Holy Scripture Says:
"If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds" (Canticles 1:7).

Reading on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
taken from The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda
and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Yesterday we read how God decreed that the time for Mary's entry into the scheme of things had finally come. Today we continue with the next stage in God's plans and His commands to the angels.

At this proposal of the Most High all the holy angels, prostrate before the royal throne of the most Holy Trinity, avowed their promptitude and eagerness to obey the divine mandate. Then the Most High chose and appointed those angels who were to be the guardianship of Mary from each of the nine choirs of angels. In order that this invincible warrior-troop might be well appointed, St. Michael, the prince of the heavenly militia, was placed at their head, and, although not always in the company of the Queen, he was nevertheless often near her and would often appear to her. The Divine Wisdom had now prepared all things for drawing forth the spotless image of the Mother of grace from the corruption of nature.

After having announced to the two saints, Joachim and Anne, that He would grant them a daughter, admirable and blessed among women, He permitted the work of the Conception to take place. He endowed Mary's parents with abundant graces and blessings and enriched them with all virtues. Although the conception happened according to the ordinary course of nature, yet the Most High freed it from imperfections and disorders, permitting only what was strictly required according to nature. God limited the natural activity in the two parents and, by His grace, prevented any sin or imperfection, substituting for them virtue and merit, and entire propriety in the manner of conception, which was perfected by the action of divine grace. Thus grace was the origin of this conception, while it called into its service the activity of nature, in so far as was necessary, for the birth of that ineffable daughter from her natural parents.

The parents were so entirely governed by grace and withdrawn from concupiscence and delectation, that the accidental imperfections, which ordinarily are the material or the instruments of conception, and which induce Original Sin, were altogether absent. Hence, in so far as this act was concerned, it could easily be free from sin or imperfection, even if divine Providence had not previously arranged every particular of this event. This miracle the Almighty reserved solely for her, who was to be a Mother worthy of Himself. For if it was proper that the material part of His being should have its origin according to the order maintained in the conception of the other children of Adam, it was likewise eminently proper that, without destroying nature, grace should concur in it, with all its efficacy and power, and that it should excel in her and act in her more efficaciously than in all the children of Adam; and be greater than even in Adam and Eve, who gave origin to the corruption of nature and to its disorderly concupiscence.

Meditation

“The Divine Wisdom had now prepared all things for drawing forth the spotless image of the Mother of grace from the corruption of nature”

We have to be cleansed from our sins before we can be admitted into Heaven to see God: ”Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). ”There shall not enter into it any thing defiled” (Apocalypse 21:16). God is very demanding, for as Holy Scripture says: ”The heavens are not pure in His sight” (Job 15:15). ”The stars are not pure in His sight” (Job 25:5). ”I will sweep away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as dung is swept away till all be clean” (3 Kings 14:10).

We see Our Lord on many occasions strongly speak out against sin—forgiving those who were sincerely sorry, but blasting those who were attached to sin. Mary Magdalen He forgives, but firmly says: ”Go, and now sin no more!”(John 8:11). To the man healed after 38 years He says: ”Behold thou art made whole: sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee” (John 5:13). Yet, to the Pharisees He says: ”Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness. Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean! Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men' s bones, and of all filthiness! So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just; but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity!” (Matthew 23:25-28).

“Who can say: 'My heart is clean, I am pure from sin'?” (Proverbs 20:9). ”If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar” (1 John 1:10). It is only Our Lady who can claim to be free from sin: ”I am clean, and without sin: I am unspotted, and there is no iniquity in me” (Job 33:9) and that is no merit of hers, but simply down to the designs of Divine Providence. We are all sinners, conceived in the corruption of Original Sin and adding to that corruption by our own personal sins. Yet Christ came, through Mary, to deliver us from that corruption of sin: ”The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). ”He shall have mercy on him, and shall say: ‘Deliver him, that he may not go down to corruption: I have found wherein I may be merciful to him!’” (Job 33:24). ”That he may withdraw their souls from corruption, and enlighten them with the light of the living” (Job 33:30). ”Rescuing his soul from corruption: and his life from passing to the sword” (Job 33:18).

Yet, we have to cooperate with Christ. We must renounce our attachments to sin -- mortal sin will be easier to renounce than the multitude of attachments we have to our venial sins. Yet unless even venial sin is renounced and paid for, we cannot enter Heaven. Our renouncement has to be sincere and effective. Just as we can pray with our lips, but not from the heart --”This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8) -- so too can we say “Sorry!” with our lips, but not from the heart. ”For the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the thoughts of minds. If thou seek Him, thou shalt find Him: but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever”(1 Paralipomenon 28:9).

“The parents were so entirely governed by grace and withdrawn from concupiscence and delectation, that the accidental imperfections”

To play their part in the conception of the spotless Mary, Joachim and Anne had to be as clean as possible. ”What can be made clean by the unclean? and what truth can come from that which is false?” (Ecclesiasticus 34:4). ”For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:8). ”Flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God: neither shall corruption possess incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:50).

Sin corrupts and scars our souls. It corrupts grace and leaves behind the scar of future weakness in the kind or type of temptation that we succumbed to when we sinned. The first sin is hard and painful; successive sins become easier and more pleasant. We have to cry out with the Apostles: ”Who then can be saved?” (Matthew 19:25). The answer Our Lord gave was: ”With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). We need to cry out in all sincerity: ”Lord, save us! We perish!” (Matthew 8:25). We need to beg Him that He open our blind eyes (lukewarmness and insensitivity to sin): ”Lord, that I may see!” (Luke 19:41). ”Create a clean heart in me, O God!”(Psalm 50:12). ”Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean!” (Matthew 8:2).

The first thing He will say is to tell us separate ourselves from the fire of the world, which destroys all that comes into contact with it: ”Arise ye, and depart, for there is no rest here for you. For that uncleanness of the land, it shall be corrupted with a grievous corruption” (Micheas 2:10). He will then tell us to: ”Go, show yourselves to the priests!”(Luke 17:14). ”Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from my eyes: cease to do perversely”(Isaias 1:16), which is nothing more or less than what a good confession should be: (1) Correctly and fully admit your offenses, (2) have sufficient sorrow for them, which means if you're not sorry out of a love of God, at least be sorry out of a fear of God, (3) make a firm resolution not to commit those sins again, which means having a concrete plan of action and not just a vague “I should stop doing this!” feeling, and (4) do penance, especially additional penance to what the priest gives you -- which does not pay for all the sins, but is a merely like a 'down-payment.' The rest of the mortgage must be paid! Once cleansed in this way, we become more pleasing in God's and Our Lady's eyes.

“And I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will cleanse you from all your idols” (Ezechiel 36:25).

Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, earth, which was to be paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors, patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: "The star which shall arise from Jacob." Isaias called you a Virgin; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel." King Solomon described your beauty: "Thou art all fair my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun."

[Mention Intention]

Mary, My Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature, so you went before and announced Jesus, "The Sun of Justice," who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel, consoled and cured the sick in soul and body and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Acquiring What Is Lacking In Us

Holy Scripture Says:
"If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds" (Canticles 1:7).

Reading on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
taken from The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda
and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

In the formation of the body of the most holy Mary, the wisdom and power of the Almighty proceeded so cautiously, that the quantities and qualities of the four natural elements of the human body, the sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic and choleric, were compounded in exact proportion and measure; in order that, by this most perfect proportion in its mixture and composition, it might assist the operations of that holy soul with which it was to be endowed and animated. This wonderfully composed temperament was afterwards the source and the cause, which in its own way made possible the serenity and peace, that reigned in the powers and faculties of the Queen of Heaven, during all her life. Never did any of these elements oppose, or contradict, nor seek to predominate over the others, but each one of them supplemented and served the others, continuing in this well-ordered fabric without corruption or decay. Never did the body of the most Holy Mary suffer from the taint of corruption, nor was there anything wanting or anything excessive found in it; but all the conditions and proportions of the different elements were continuously adjusted, without any want or excess in what was necessary for her perfect existence and without excess, or default in dryness or moisture. Neither was there more warmth than was necessary for maintenance of life or digestion; nor more cold than was necessary for the right temperature and for the maintenance of the bodily humors.

Nor was this body, on account of its admirable composition, less sensible to the influence of heat and cold and the other inclemencies of the weather, but rather, as it was more delicately and perfectly constituted, so it was more acutely affected by any extremes, not being able to furnish a defense against the excess of temperature in those parts, which were more subject to them. Certainly, on the one hand, these extremes would find in such a harmoniously constituted frame much less material in which they could work their changes; nevertheless, on the other hand, the delicacy of its composition made even ordinary influences much more penetrating than greater ones in other bodies.

Just as the hand of our Lord formed the first parents Adam and Eve in such a way as to befit original justice and the state of innocence and therefore also more excellently than their descendants (for the works coming directly from the Lord must be more perfect than those of secondary causes), so His Omnipotence, in a more excellent and superior manner, operated in the formation of the virginal body of the most holy Mary. And this He did with so much the greater solicitude and abundance of grace, as this creature was to exceed in perfection, not only the first parents, who were to sin so soon, but all the other creatures, corporal and spiritual. According to our way of speaking, God exerted more care in composing this little body of His most holy Mother, than in creating all the celestial orbs and the whole universe. In accordance with this rule are to be measured the gifts and privileges of this City of God, from its first beginnings and foundations, to its highest pinnacle next to the infinity of the Most High.

Such was also the measure of the distance between her miraculous Conception and sin and its cause, concupiscence; for not only was she, as the dawn of grace, entirely free from sin, and always so exhibited and treated by the Lord; but also in her parents, sin and concupiscence was restrained and withheld in view of her Conception, in order that nature might not be disturbed, or made imperfect in this work. For nature was to be subject to grace and served merely as an instrument to the supreme Artificer, Who is superior to the laws of nature and of grace It was here that He commenced to destroy sin, and to lay the foundations, building up the castle of the strong armed one (Luke 11:22), who was to undermine evil and deprive it of the possessions which it tyrannically held in Adam and Eve, who gave origin to the corruption of nature and to its disorderly concupiscence.

Meditation

“In Mary, the sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic and choleric temperaments were compounded in most perfect proportion. This wonderfully composed temperament made possible the serenity and peace, that reigned in the powers and faculties of the Queen of Heaven, during all her life.”

Most persons have one temperament that is the dominant temperament, while they may simultaneously have some traits of the remaining three temperaments in varying degrees. Perfection would consist in having all four temperaments balanced in such a way that anyone temperament (or any mix of them) could be called upon at any given moment to tackle whatever challenges were being faced, or work that had to be done—for each temperament has ‘specialist’ skills that the other do not possess or possess in only weak degrees. On the other hand, each temperament has its own inherent weaknesses, which can be bolstered by the strengths of another temperament. Yet, rather than just be satisfied with the temperament we have, we are meant to work hard in acquiring the strengths (but not the weaknesses) of the temperaments we do not naturally possess—which will then, in turn, cure the weaknesses of our natural temperament. This is the work of sanctification—to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect, as Jesus is perfect, and as Our Lady is perfect. If we do not work on acquiring the strengths of the temperaments we do not naturally possess—which are virtues in other words—the we ‘bury our talent’ in the ground and show no profit to God. What has been said thus far, has been said from a natural perspective—from a supernatural perspective, the same thing would be called mortification and the acquisition of virtues under the guidance and rule of God’s grace.

“Her body was not less sensible to the influence of heat and cold and the other inclemencies of the weather, but rather, as it was more delicately and perfectly constituted, so it was more acutely affected by any extremes.”

Here we see another aspect of the pros and cons of life—the positive and negative coming from the same entity, being or quality. Because Our Lady (and Our Lord) were so humanly perfect (the positive), as a result they were perfectly sensitive (the negative). Confusing? Okay, let’s substitute the word “extreme” for the word “perfect”—for something to be “perfect” means that it is “extremely good” or “good in the extreme.” Because Our Lady (and Our Lord) were extremely good (the positive), as a result they were extremely sensitive. This would mean that they would feel physical pain (the pain of the body) and moral and psychological pain (the pain of the soul) far more than any other human being (the negative side of things), yet they would experience joy and happiness far more than others (the positive side of things).

For ourselves, too, the same will be true. The more we perfect ourselves, the more deeply we will feel a spiritual joy and happiness; while, on the other hand, the more keenly we will feel the pain of sin—whether it be our own sins, or those of others. The greater will be our love of God and the greater will be our hatred of evil. Those who are lukewarm, have no real or deep happiness; nor do they have a real love of God, because they are at peace with several or many venial sins; nor do they have a real hatred of evil, for the same reason—their peace with venial sin.

This is one of the causes of division in families, in parishes, in the work place and socially—some wish and truly try to draw closer to God, most prefer their comfortable and sinful state of lukewarmness: ”Everyone 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” (Matthew 10:32-37). Thus, this internal battle is unavoidable—it always was, it is, and forever will be. Those who falsely wish to live in peace, are putting peace before God, and are prepared to be at peace with sin—while protesting that they are only being charitable (but charity is primarily a God-centered virtue, not sin-centered).

“Not only was she entirely free from sin, but also, in her parents, sin and concupiscence was restrained and withheld in view of her Conception, in order that nature might not be disturbed, or made imperfect in this work. For nature was to be subject to grace.”

One of the chief foundations of the spiritual life is penance and mortification: ”I say to you: but unless you shall do penance, you shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). ”For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die: but if by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live” (Romans 8:13). ”Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service of idols”(Colossians 3:5).

Today’s idea of mortification is to restrain the appetite for going to extra Masses; to abstain from more prayers; to curb the tongue by refusing to speak of Hell and the devil; to mortify the eyes by avoiding spiritual reading; to guard our thoughts from having too many thoughts about God; to fight against avarice and give away all our spiritual books; to mortify our mouths and bellies by making them eat more food than they want and drink more alcohol than they want; to mortify our greed for money by giving more and more of it away to the local stores, in exchange for more food and drink, so that we further mortify our overfed bellies! In all this, nature is not subject to grace, but nature imprisons grace and makes grace a slave of nature.

Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, earth, which was to be paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors, patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: "The star which shall arise from Jacob." Isaias called you a Virgin; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel." King Solomon described your beauty: "Thou art all fair my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun."

[Mention Intention]

Mary, My Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature, so you went before and announced Jesus, "The Sun of Justice," who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel, consoled and cured the sick in soul and body and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: The Hour for the Second Greatest Birthday Arrives!

Holy Scripture Says:
"If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds" (Canticles 1:7).

Reading on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
taken from The Mystical City of God by the Venerable Mary of Agreda
and The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

God allowed St. Anne to undergo grievous trials during her pregnancy. Although Satan did not know that her daughter was to be the Mother of the Savior, he perceived that a strong spiritual influence proceeded from Ann, and therefore he did his best to tempt and disturb and harm her. But she resisted all his attacks with humble fortitude, patience and prayer. Then the enraged Devil tried to make St. Joachim's house crash to the ground, but Mary's protecting angels prevented such an accident from happening. Next, Satan incited some of St. Anne's women friends to treat her with open scorn and mockery because of her late pregnancy. St. Anne did not permit herself to be upset by this injustice, but. in all meekness and humility. she bore the insults and acted with still greater kindness toward these women. In the end, as a result of her prayers, they amended their ways.

Early in September, St. Anne was informed interiorly by the Lord that the time of her daughter's birth was near. Filled with holy joy, she humbly prayed for a happy deliverance and sent for three of her closest women relatives. When she told St. Joachim, he rejoiced and went among his flocks in order to choose the finest lambs, goats and bulls, which he sent to the “temple in care of his servants as an offering of gratitude to the Lord.

One evening the three woman arrived and embraced St. Anne, congratulating her warmly. Standing with them, she poured forth her deep joy and thankfulness in a beautiful spontaneous canticle, which surprised and thrilled her friends. Then, still standing, they took a light meal of bread, fruit and water, after which they went to lie down and rest.

St. Anne prayed until nearly midnight, when she woke her relatives and went with them into her oratory and lit the lamps. From a closet she took a small box containing some relics of the Patriarchs of Israel. Then she knelt before her little altar. While she was praying thus, a supernatural light began to fill the room. Noticing it, the three friends threw themselves onto the floor and hid their faces in awe. Soon the dazzling light entirely surrounded St. Anne, making her invisible.

A moment later she was holding in her hands a beautiful, spotless, radiant baby, which she tenderly wrapped in her cloak and pressed to her heart. With tears of fervent love and joy, she gazed at her child. God gave her to understand that she was to bring up her daughter with all motherly love and care but without any outward show of reverence, while retaining inwardly her profound veneration for the future Mother of the Messias.

Now she herself bathed and wrapped the babe in red and gray swaddling clothes. As the bright mystic light vanished, the three relatives got up and to their keen surprise and joy perceived the lovely child in her mother's arms. Then they sang a hymn of praise and thanks to the Lord while many invisible guardian angels also greeted the tiny Mary with heavenly music.

Later St. Anne retired to her room and lay down on her bed, with her baby in a little cradle next to her, and St. Joachim was called in. The holy old man knelt beside the bed, deeply moved at the sight of this lovely daughter for which he and his dear wife had waited and suffered for twenty long years. While warm tears flowed freely down his cheeks, he carefully took the baby in his arms and sang a fervent hymn of praise to God. Then, as he tenderly embraced his daughter and put her back in the cradle, he murmured with touching humility and piety: ”Now I am ready to die!”

Meditation

“God allowed St. Anne to undergo grievous trials during her pregnancy ... Satan did his best to tempt and disturb and harm her.”

“When thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation” (Ecclesiasticus 2:1). God spares nobody when it comes to temptation. Why? Because temptation is the exam that everyone must take, in order to show how well they have assimilated the teachings of the Faith. Holy Scripture speaks of this on numerous occasions:

“God, His way is immaculate, the word of the Lord is tried by fire” (2 Kings 22:31). ”The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth refined seven times” (Psalms 11:7). ”As silver is tried by fire, and gold in the furnace: so the Lord trieth the hearts” (Proverbs 17:3). ”That the trial of your faith (much more precious than gold which is tried by the fire) may be found unto praise and glory” (1 Peter 1:7). ”Afflicted in few things, in many they shall be well rewarded: because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of Himself” (Wisdom 3:5). ”For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation” (Ecclesiasticus 2:5).

“When thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation”(Ecclesiasticus 2:1). ”Thou hast tried them, who say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars”(Apocalypse 2:2). ”Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, Thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me” (Psalms 16:3). ”For Thou, O God, hast proved us: Thou hast tried us by fire, as silver is tried”(Psalms 65:10).

“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison that you may be tried: and you shall have tribulation. Be thou faithful until death: and I will give thee the crown of life” (Apocalypse 2:10).

“Anne resisted all his attacks with humble fortitude, patience and prayer.”

Prayer is the staple diet of the Christian, or the air that the Christian breathes. Our Lord said: ”Without Me, you can do nothing!” (John 15:5). Without His grace we can do nothing. This infernal independent world wants us do things without God. Insanely, some Catholics, though they know in theory that they need God, in practice they live as though they do not need Him—until something goes terribly wrong! Let's face it, prayer for many, if not most, is a secondary thing in their lives. They have time galore for the earthly things in their lives and will often burn the candle at both ends and make all kinds of sacrifices to obtain those earthly goals; but for the spiritual side of life, which as Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange states, is the most important part of life (though I suppose may dispute him on that point), they begrudge having to give the spiritual more time and effort. They can easily schedule extra events into their already busy schedule, but they cannot or will not schedule extra spiritual things into that schedule. As we sow, so shall we reap.

The only way the devil can be resisted is by spiritual means and spiritual exercises. If we have few spiritual exercises, or if they are of a low quality, then we will not have the fuel for the virtues needed to overcome temptation and adversity. St. Anne was able to be humble, courageous and patient because she prayed. She prayed well and she prayed much.

Prayer
Mary, Mother of God, you are the Virgin who was promised as the Mother of the Savior. After the fall of our First Parents, earth, which was to be paradise, was changed into a valley of tears, on which the curse of God fell. People became the poor banished children of Eve. They roamed about in the darkness of sin and despair. In His infinite mercy, God chose Abraham, who was to be the Father of a Chosen Nation. You were descended from the most renowned men of that nation and counted among your ancestors, patriarchs, prophets, leaders of the people of God and kings of the ancient law. Your birth was represented beforehand by many figures, announced by prophets, desired for many ages by the human race.

Prophets foretold the coming of the Savior and the manner in which the Redemption would take place. They spoke of you as His Virgin Mother and of the part you would play in the Redemption of mankind. Balaam referred to you as a star: "The star which shall arise from Jacob." Isaias called you a Virgin; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and His name shall be Emmanuel." King Solomon described your beauty: "Thou art all fair my beloved, beautiful as the moon, brilliant as the sun."

[Mention Intention]

Mary, My Mother, your birth was awaited as the near sign of the deliverance of the human race. The Church regards you as the rising dawn. As the dawn precedes and announces the coming of the sun, makes the darkness of the night disappear, consoles the sick and rejoices all nature, so you went before and announced Jesus, "The Sun of Justice," who made the darkness of the world disappear by the light of His Gospel, consoled and cured the sick in soul and body and brought an abundance of graces and blessings to the whole world.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.