NV-Novena for Your Mother

A NOVENA FOR YOUR OWN MOTHER
Can be prayed leading up to Mother's Day
or any other time (because Mothers are not just loved on Mother's Day!)

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 thanksgiving for your own mother whom God's Providence has allocated to you. Our mothers, even though they are far from being perfect, are nevertheless God's chosen custodians over us. There are so many things that they have done for us all throughout our lives, not least when we were infants and totally oblivious to the 24 hour care that our mothers gave to us. Let us pray this novena in gratitude while also begging God to reward our birthgivers―especially by "giving birth" to them into Heaven at the completion of their life here on Earth. If our mothers have already passed away, they may well be languishing in the fires of Purgatory and are in dire need of our prayers―let us then alleviate their sufferings in Purgatory, just as they alleviated us of many sufferings here on Earth!

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 Our Lady , or a quote from a Saint (2) a passage on motherhood from a pope or a theologian; (3) a Meditation; (4) a Prayer; (5) after mentioning your intention, pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary; (6) a Closing Prayer.

LITANY TO THE MOTHER OF GOD ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN MOTHERS

Lord, have mercy on my mother!
Christ, have mercy on my mother!
Lord, have mercy on my mother!
God our Father in Heaven, have mercy on my mother!
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on my mother!
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on my mother!
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on my mother!

Holy Mother of God, pray for my mother!
Mother of our Creator, pray for my mother!
Mother of our Savior, pray for my mother!
Mother of Christ, pray for my mother!
Mother of divine grace, pray for my mother!
Mother conceived without sin, pray for my mother!
Mother of the Church, pray for my mother!
Mother and virgin, pray for my mother!
Mother most charitable, pray for my mother!
Mother most amiable, pray for my mother!
Mother most admirable, pray for my mother!
Mother most faithful, pray for my mother!
Mother most pure, pray for my mother!
Mother most chaste, pray for my mother!
Mother inviolate, pray for my mother!
Mother undefiled, pray for my mother!
Mother most humble, pray for my mother!
Mother most patient, pray for my mother!
Mother most compassionate, pray for my mother!
Mother most merciful, pray for my mother!
Mother of hope, pray for my mother!
Mother of penitents, pray for my mother!
Mother of all saints, pray for my mother!
Mother most prayerful, pray for my mother!
Mother most devout, pray for my mother!
Mother most courageous, pray for my mother!
Mother most strong, pray for my mother!
Mother most powerful, pray for my mother!
Mother most wise, pray for my mother!
Mother of good counsel, pray for my mother!
Mother most prudent, pray for my mother!
Mother of the Church, pray for my mother!

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare my mother, O Lord!

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear my mother, O Lord!

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on my mother!

Pray for my mother, O holy Mother of God.
That she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: O almighty and eternal God, Lord of both the living and the dead, Thy tender mercy embraces all men foreknown to be Thine by Faith and a good life. Through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary our Mother, and of all the saints, grant Thy merciful pardon to all mothers for whom we pray, whether they still are living in this world or have departed from this flesh into the world to come. Especially, dear Lord, grant the requests I now make of You for my own beloved mother. Amen.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: A Mother's Love Reflects the Love of God

Holy Scripture

“I am the mother of fair love” (Ecclesiasticus 24:24).

“Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget―yet will not I forget thee!” (Isaias 49:15).

“When Jesus had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He said to His Mother: ‘Woman, behold thy son!’ After that, He said to the disciple: ‘Behold thy Mother!’ And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own” (John 19:26-27).

Reading

“God is charity” (1 John 4:8). It is true that no earthly image can fully reveal the perfect love of God. God is transcendent and His love is beyond what this world can contain. But nonetheless, there are many things in this world that do reveal aspects of the love of God. “For God created man [and woman] to the image of His own likeness” (Wisdom 2:23). One such “image” and “likeness” is that of a mother’s love.

Though God has been revealed to us as the Father in Heaven and the Son of God came as a man, we can discover much about the love of God from a mother’s love. In fact, it is even appropriate to understand that God is like the tenderest mother to us. Motherhood is sacred because it is part of the natural design of God for humanity. He puts into a mother’s heart a powerful love for her child, offering unwavering commitment.

Though no mother is perfect except our Blessed Mother, it is good to look at the beauty of a mother’s love when using it to understand God. The tenderness and unconditional acceptance of a mother stand out as two aspects that reveal the love of God. All true love comes from God, for without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). God does love you with a perfect motherly love. “My dearest―if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another!” (1 John 4:11). God plants in us the seeds of love when we receive sanctifying grace in the Sacrament of Baptism―it is our responsibility to grow those seeds of love into a tree of love, with powerful roots of love and branches of love reaching out in all directions.

Meditation

God’s love for us is very much like a mother’s love for her child. “Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget―yet will not I forget thee!” (Isaias 49:15). God’s love is unconditional and arose out of the act of God creating the Universe, just like the love of a mother originates from the fact of a child growing within her when she chooses to be pregnant.

Most of the time, mothers love their children throughout their lives, even though her children may disappoint her. I know that even though I disappointed my mother many times, she loved me as only a mother could at the end of the day.

Every living creature has a mother, and at some level, every mother loves her child. Such is true not only for human persons but for the animal kingdom as well. The National Geographic films show us that out in the wild, mothers give birth to babies, often take care of them, and fiercely protect them from predators.

Mothers have been known to give up their own lives for the sake of their children, both born and unborn. We hear in the news about pregnant women afflicted with cancer forgoing life-saving treatment, knowing they would die so that their child could be born and live. In the news stories about the mass shooting in Las Vegas several years ago, we heard about mothers using their bodies to take a bullet so that their children would survive.

Not only does God love us like a mother, but we experience God’s love in our mother’s love. For “God is charity” (1 John 4:8) and all true love is ultimately born from God: “For without Me, you can do nothing!” (John 15:5). A mother is an image of God, an icon of God’s presence, a window into God’s mystery, a tangible embrace of God’s gentleness. God loves us into being and embraces us with His kindness.

Prayer

O Lord, I thank Thee for my mother! Thank you for placing her in my life, and for the blessing she is to me and my family! Thank you for the godly wisdom that she has instilled in me!

O Lord, strengthen the soul of my mother! Help her to grow in her Faith and to gain wisdom and knowledge. Help her to put her hope and trust in Thee. Help her grow in love of Thee and to call upon Thy Name in prayer each day.

O Lord, I beg of Thee graces for my mother! Please continue to bless her and surround her with Thy grace and favor. Shower her with Thy blessings each day, as she trusts in Thee. Multiply her blessings, and please provide for her every need. I pray that my family and I will continue to show her our love and support.

O Lord, I beg Thy loving protection to guard my mother. Guard her and keep her in all her ways. Watch over her going out and coming in. Give her the spiritual, mental, physical strength and stamina she needs to accomplish Thy Divine Will. Protect her from the snares of Satan, and may Thy favor and protection surround her as with a shield!

[Mention Intention]

I fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not my prayers on behalf of my mother, but ever deliver her from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Pray for my mother, O Holy Mother of God, that she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

LITANY TO THE MOTHER OF GOD ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN MOTHERS

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Piercing Your Mother's Heart

Holy Scripture

“If you love Me, keep My commandments … He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them; he it is that loveth Me … If anyone love Me, he will keep My word … He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words!” (John 14:15, 14:21-24).

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is just!” (Ephesians 6:1).

“Honor thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with a promise: ‘That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest be long lived upon Earth!’” (Ephesians 6:2).

“My son, keep the commandments of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother! Bind them in thy heart continually, and put them about thy neck. When thou walkest, let them go with thee; when thou sleepest, let them keep thee; and when thou awakest, talk with them!” (Proverbs 6:20-22).

Reading

In Holy Scripture we read of Jesus―Who was, don’t forget, God Himself―showing obedience to Mary and Joseph! “And Jesus went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them” (Luke 2:51). The Apostle St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Colossians, says: “Children obey your parents!” This is one of the most obvious dictates of nature―even the irrational creatures are obedient by instinct, and follow the signs of the parent animal, or bird, or reptile. Perhaps there is no duty more generally acknowledged and accepted than this. Your obedience should begin early—the younger you are, the more you need a guide and a ruler.

Obedience should be universal--“Children obey your parents,” said the Apostle, “in all things.” The only exception to this, is when their commands are, in the letter or spirit of them, opposed to the commands of God. In this case, as well as in every other, we must obey God, rather than man. But even here your refusal to comply with the sinful injunction of a parent, must be uttered in a meek and respectful manner, so that it shall be manifest you are actuated by pure, conscientious motives, and not by a mere rebellious resistance of parental authority. Your obedience should have no other exception than that which is made by conscience.

Your personal inclinations and tastes are out of the question—your inclinations and tastes must be crossed, opposed, and set aside, when opposed to parental authority.

Obedience should be prompt. As soon as the command is uttered, it should be complied with. It is a disgrace to any child that it should be necessary for a father or a mother to repeat a command. You should even anticipate, if possible their injunctions, and not wait until their will is announced in words. A tardy obedience loses all its glory.

Obedience should be cheerful. A reluctant virtue is no virtue at all. Constrained and unwilling obedience, is rebellion in principle; it is vice clothed in the garment of goodness. God loves a cheerful giver, and so does man. A child retiring from a parent’s presence, muttering, sullen, and murmuring, is one of the ugliest spectacles in creation—of what value is anything he does, in such a temper as this?

Obedience should be self-denying. You must give up your own wills, and sacrifice your own desires, and perform the things that are difficult, as well as those that are easy. When a soldier receives a command, although he may be at home in comfort, and he is required at once to go into the field of danger, he hesitates not, he considers he has no option. A child has no more room for the gratification of self-will than the soldier has—he must obey.

Obedience should be uniform. Obedience is generally given and shown without much difficulty when the parents are present―but that is not always the case when they are absent. Children should despise this two-faced attitude of consulting the wishes and obeying the injunctions of your parents, only when they are there to witness your conduct. Such hypocrisy is detestable. Act upon nobler principles.

How sublimely simple and striking was the reply of the child, who upon being pressed in company to take something which his absent parents had forbidden him to touch; and who, upon being reminded that they were not there to witness him, replied: “That is true, but God and my conscience are here!” Be it your determination, to imitate this beautiful example of filial piety, and obey in all things even your absent parents.

Meditation

It will be hard to find a child that has not been disobedient to its parents in general, and disobedient to the mother in particular. Just as St. Simeon prophesied that a sword of sorrow would pierce Our Lady’s Heart―so too have we pierced the hearts of our mothers. Some have done so more than others. The words that Our Lord addressed to St. Peter, could just as well be addressed to our parents: “He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me!” (Luke 10:16).

We should also remember the words that Our Lord spoke to Pontius Pilate, telling Pilate that his authority was God-given: “Thou shouldst not have any power against me, unless it were given thee from above!” (John 19:11). Our parents, likewise, have received their authority from God. When we reject their authority or neglect to fulfill their commands, then it is not only against our parents that we sin―but it is also against God that we sin. As Jesus said: “Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these My least brethren, you did it to Me! … Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these My least brethren, neither did you do it to Me!” (Matthew 25:40 & 45).

Perhaps an examination of conscience would not be a bad idea on the subject of our obedience to our parents in general, and our mother in particular, during the time of our childhood and teenage years while we still lived in our parental home! Expressing regret to our mother (and father) would also be a good idea! Remember that St. Peter wept for the rest of his life over the fact that he had denied Our Lord three times during the Passion!

Prayer

O Lord, I thank Thee for my mother! Thank you for placing her in my life, and for the blessing she is to me and my family! Thank you for the godly wisdom that she has instilled in me!

O Lord, strengthen the soul of my mother! Help her to grow in her Faith and to gain wisdom and knowledge. Help her to put her hope and trust in Thee. Help her grow in love of Thee and to call upon Thy Name in prayer each day.

O Lord, I beg of Thee graces for my mother! Please continue to bless her and surround her with Thy grace and favor. Shower her with Thy blessings each day, as she trusts in Thee. Multiply her blessings, and please provide for her every need. I pray that my family and I will continue to show her our love and support.

O Lord, I beg Thy loving protection to guard my mother. Guard her and keep her in all her ways. Watch over her going out and coming in. Give her the spiritual, mental, physical strength and stamina she needs to accomplish Thy Divine Will. Protect her from the snares of Satan, and may Thy favor and protection surround her as with a shield!

[Mention Intention]

I fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not my prayers on behalf of my mother, but ever deliver her from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Pray for my mother, O Holy Mother of God, that she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

LITANY TO THE MOTHER OF GOD ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN MOTHERS

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: A Debt You Can and Must Pay

Holy Scripture

“If any man does not care for his own―especially of those of his house―then he has denied the Faith and is worse than an infidel!” (1 Timothy 5:8).

“Owe nobody anything, except to love one another. For he that loves his neighbor, has fulfilled the law!” (Romans 13:8).

“All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “God showed His charity towards us when we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). “My dearest―if God hath so loved us, then we also ought to love one another!” (1 John 4:11).

“Why seest thou the splinter that is in thy brother’s [mother’s] eye; and seest not the plank that is in thy own eye? Or how sayest thou to thy brother [mother’s]: ‘Let me cast the splinter out of thy eye!’ ― and behold there is a plank in thy own eye? Thou hypocrite! Cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the splinter out of thy brother’s [mother’s] eye!” (Matthew 7:3-5).

Reading

Where would we be without our mothers? Obviously, a rhetorical question, as we wouldn’t even have life without the great gift of our mothers. But they play a much more important role in our lives than just giving birth: they form, they comfort, they teach us to pray, etc. Motherhood is such a beautiful and wonderful gift, and we should constantly thank God for the gifts that our mothers (and those who play a motherly role!) bring to our lives, both within and outside of the Church.

But even the Church is referred to as ‘Mother,’ for all the things that our mothers do for us in life, the Church does for her children in the spiritual life: she teaches, she comforts, she forms, she assists us in prayer, she protects and guards her children, etc. The Church spends her life so that her beloved sons and daughters might have life. And what a beautiful gift this is as well!

The Church even raises up motherly figures for us to identify and relate, the first among them the Blessed Mother: Mary, the Mother of Our Lord and Savior; for if we want to be close to Jesus, what better way is there than to be close to His Mother who will constantly bring our needs to Him and help us to understand His directions and guidance. (See John chapter 2, for example).

In line with the Blessed Mother are other great spiritual mothers who are foundresses of religious communities of women. Just in this country, there are several examples: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, foundress of the Sisters of Charity; St. Marianne Cope who cared for lepers in Hawaii; Mother Theodore Guerin, who founded the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary of the Woods near Terra Haute, Indiana; and St Frances Xavier Cabrini who did so much work caring for minority and native peoples in the late 1800s.

Beautifully, there are also mothers who are venerated at the Altars as well: St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, and the first married couple to be Canonized together: Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, who were declared saints in 2015.

Meditation
Yes―we all owe a great debt to our mothers, a debt that in reality is unpayable, but a debt that we nevertheless must try to pay the best we can. Infants are ignorant of what their mothers are doing for them, while young children are too selfish to appreciate what their mothers do for them. It is only as we mature and enter adulthood that we―hopefully―start to realize the incredible amount of work, care and love that our mothers have invested in raising us.

In reality, mothers often end up being like slaves for their children―though they are usually loving slaves who love to slave for their children. The child is waited upon hand-and-foot from the moment of its birth. From infancy through to teenage years, the child gets to sleep far longer than the mother. The child pays no rent; does not buy food; does no cooking; has almost every meal cooked and served; does no cleaning; does no repairs; does not buy clothing; does not do the laundry; pays no bills; does not pay for schooling; buys nothing for the house; is driven around in a car; does not pay for the gas/fuel, etc., etc. The child is basically spoiled while the mother is toiled. If you had to pay for those services, you would end up penniless. Yet some children do not even “pay” with a sincere “Thank you, mom!” They expect all that service, they take it for granted, they demand it―and then still find time to complain!

Instead, our attitude ought to be like that of St. Paul, who writes: “I cease not to give thanks for you, making commemoration of you in my prayers!” (Ephesians 1:16). We are incapable of repaying the debt we owe to our mothers, but, as Jesus said: “The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God!” (Luke 18:27).

How much do you pray for your mother―whether alive or deceased? We are talking here about Rosaries for your mother―and not just an occasional Our Father or Hail Mary!

How many Masses have you had offered for your mother? The Mass stipend is not earth shatteringly expensive―a mere few dollars usually suffices!

How many secret sacrifices do you make each day for your mother? Heck! She made tens of daily sacrifices for you during your childhood―and perhaps over a hundred daily sacrifices for you during your infancy―except that she did not call them “sacrifices” but “acts of love”!

Prayer

O Lord, I thank Thee for my mother! Thank you for placing her in my life, and for the blessing she is to me and my family! Thank you for the godly wisdom that she has instilled in me!

O Lord, strengthen the soul of my mother! Help her to grow in her Faith and to gain wisdom and knowledge. Help her to put her hope and trust in Thee. Help her grow in love of Thee and to call upon Thy Name in prayer each day.

O Lord, I beg of Thee graces for my mother! Please continue to bless her and surround her with Thy grace and favor. Shower her with Thy blessings each day, as she trusts in Thee. Multiply her blessings, and please provide for her every need. I pray that my family and I will continue to show her our love and support.

O Lord, I beg Thy loving protection to guard my mother. Guard her and keep her in all her ways. Watch over her going out and coming in. Give her the spiritual, mental, physical strength and stamina she needs to accomplish Thy Divine Will. Protect her from the snares of Satan, and may Thy favor and protection surround her as with a shield!

[Mention Intention]

I fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not my prayers on behalf of my mother, but ever deliver her from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Pray for my mother, O Holy Mother of God, that she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

LITANY TO THE MOTHER OF GOD ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN MOTHERS

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Forgiving Your Mother

Holy Scripture

“All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “God showed His charity towards us when we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). “My dearest―if God hath so loved us, then we also ought to love one another!” (1 John 4:11).

“Why seest thou the splinter that is in thy brother’s [mother’s] eye; and seest not the plank that is in thy own eye? Or how sayest thou to thy brother [mother’s]: ‘Let me cast the splinter out of thy eye!’ ― and behold there is a plank in thy own eye? Thou hypocrite! Cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the splinter out of thy brother’s [mother’s] eye!” (Matthew 7:3-5).

“If you love them that love you, what thanks are due to you? For sinners also love those that love them!” (Luke 6:32).

“And if you do good to them who do good to you, what thanks are due to you? For sinners also do this!” (Luke 6:33).

Reading

Our Lord says to us: “Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect!” (Matthew 5:48). Who do you know that has achieved this perfection? Are you perfect? Is your mother perfect? Or was she perfect (if she is now deceased)? Of course not! True perfection is a rarity―even though God meant to be commonplace. Of the few souls that make it to Heaven, the vast majority have to achieve or “top-up” their perfection (or lack of it) in the fires of Purgatory.

No human being is born perfect (apart from the Blessed Virgin Mary). The attainment of perfection is meant to be a life-long work, with no shortage of setbacks and failures. Perfection is not a switch that you can just flick on. They say that every failure is a step closer to success―if we learn something from the failure. Similarly, you could say that each of our failings and falls is a step closer to perfection and holiness. When you were a baby, you did not suddenly stand up one day and started walking effortlessly and perfectly! You learned to walk by falling first, falling repeatedly, then falling less and less until you could string together a decent series of wobbly steps.

Something similar could be said of motherhood. Nobody is born a perfect mother. Mothers usually learn by trial and error―even if they have read many books on motherhood or have been given much advice by other mothers. Theory are practice are not identical twins! Just as your mother was patient and understanding with you during your infancy with your many failures in trying to walk, talk, dress yourself, feed yourself, etc. ― so too should you be understanding and forgiving of the many failures that your mother must have gone through in trying to raise you as a good Catholic. Are you a good Catholic today? Are you a perfect Catholic today? No! So, as Our Lord tells us: “Why seest thou the splinter that is in thy brother’s [mother’s] eye; and seest not the plank that is in thy own eye? Or how sayest thou to thy brother [mother’s]: ‘Let me cast the splinter out of thy eye!’ ― and behold there is a plank in thy own eye? Thou hypocrite! Cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the splinter out of thy brother’s [mother’s] eye!” (Matthew 7:3-5).

Meditation

Forgiveness of failures, offenses and sins is something very godly. Mercy is a beautiful thing―and the blueprint for mercy is found in God. Holy Scripture repeatedly puts the mercy of God before our eyes and encourages us to imitate that mercy of God. The closer we are God, then the more merciful we become. Here are just a handful of the hundreds of Scriptural quotes on mercy that can be found:

“The Lord is gracious and merciful, patient and plenteous in mercy. The Lord is sweet to all and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 144:8-9).

“Blessed are the merciful―for they shall obtain mercy!” (Matthew 5:7).

“If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him: and if he do penance, forgive him. And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying, ‘I repent!’― then forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4).

“Let all bitterness, and anger, and indignation, and clamor, and blasphemy, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another; merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ!” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

“If you will forgive men their offences, then your heavenly Father will also forgive you your offences. But if you will not forgive men, then neither will your Father forgive you your offences!” (Matthew 6:14-15).

“And the Scribes and the Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery: and they set her in the midst, and said to Him: ‘Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery! Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one. But what sayest Thou?’ And this they said tempting Him, so that they might accuse Him. But Jesus, bowing Himself down, wrote with His finger on the ground. When therefore they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said to them: ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her!’ And again stooping down, He wrote on the ground. But they hearing this, went out, one by one, beginning at the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, and the woman standing in the midst. Then Jesus lifting up Himself, said to her: ‘Woman, where are they that accused thee? Hath no man condemned thee?’ She said: ‘No man, Lord!’ And Jesus said: ‘Neither will I condemn thee! Go, and now sin no more!’” (John 8:3-11).

Mercy has to be seen and sown in the family. We must learn mercy at an early age. We must learn to show mercy to those around us from the days of our childhood. If we hope for mercy, or expect mercy, then we must show and give mercy ― “For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap!” (Galatians 6:8) … “For judgment without mercy will be shown to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth itself above judgment” (James 2:13). Today, we are far more concerned about judging others rather than showing mercy to others ― and that can even include judging our parents. Forgive your mother her sins and failings and you will find that God will also forgive you your sins and failings!

Prayer

O Lord, I thank Thee for my mother! Thank you for placing her in my life, and for the blessing she is to me and my family! Thank you for the godly wisdom that she has instilled in me!

O Lord, strengthen the soul of my mother! Help her to grow in her Faith and to gain wisdom and knowledge. Help her to put her hope and trust in Thee. Help her grow in love of Thee and to call upon Thy Name in prayer each day.

O Lord, I beg of Thee graces for my mother! Please continue to bless her and surround her with Thy grace and favor. Shower her with Thy blessings each day, as she trusts in Thee. Multiply her blessings, and please provide for her every need. I pray that my family and I will continue to show her our love and support.

O Lord, I beg Thy loving protection to guard my mother. Guard her and keep her in all her ways. Watch over her going out and coming in. Give her the spiritual, mental, physical strength and stamina she needs to accomplish Thy Divine Will. Protect her from the snares of Satan, and may Thy favor and protection surround her as with a shield!

[Mention Intention]

I fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not my prayers on behalf of my mother, but ever deliver her from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Pray for my mother, O Holy Mother of God, that she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

LITANY TO THE MOTHER OF GOD ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN MOTHERS

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Washed and Cleansed by Your Mother

Holy Scripture

“They are pure in their own eyes, and yet they are not washed from their filthiness!” (Proverbs 30:12).

“Wash yourselves, be clean, take away the evil of your devices from My eyes and cease to do perversely!” (Isaias 1:16).

“Wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved!” (Jeremias 4:14).

“Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! … Wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow!” (Psalm 50:4, 9).

“Rise up and be baptized, and wash away thy sins!” (Acts 22:16).

“Pilate, taking water, washed his hands before the people, saying: ‘I am innocent of the Blood of this just Man!’” (Matthew 27:24).

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you! Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded!” (James 4:8).

“If we confess our sins, He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all iniquity!” (1 John 1:9).

“Jesus Christ washed us from our sins in His own Blood” (Apocalypse 1:5).

“These that are clothed in white robes, these are they who are come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the Blood of the Lamb! … Blessed are they that wash their robes in the Blood of the Lamb!” (Apocalypse 7:13-14; 22:14).

“And behold a woman that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster box of ointment, and, standing behind at His feet, she began to wash His feet, with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head … Jesus said: ‘Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for My feet―but she with tears has washed My feet, and with her hair has wiped them! You gave Me no kiss―but she, since she came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet! You did not anoint My head with oil―but she has anointed My feet with ointment! Wherefore I say to you: Many sins are forgiven her, because she has loved much!’” (Luke 7:37-47).

Reading

Holy Scripture has an incredible amount of references to washing and cleaning from the defilement of sin. We are warned that “There shall not enter into Heaven anything defiled” (Apocalypse 21:27) and “Who can say: ‘My heart is clean, I am pure from sin?’” (Proverbs 20:9) adding that “Blessed are the clean of heart―for they shall see God!” (Matthew 5:8). We see Jesus, on several occasions, washing others―symbolizing the washing away of the defilement of sin and restoring purity to the soul.

“And Jesus, passing by, saw a man who was blind from his birth. And His disciples asked him: ‘Rabbi, who has sinned― this man, or his parents―that he should be born blind?’ Jesus answered: ‘Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents―but that the works of God should be made manifest in him! When he had said these things, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and spread the clay on his eyes, and said to him: ‘Go and wash in the pool of Siloe!’ ― which is interpreted as ‘Sent’. He went, therefore, and washed, and he came back seeing” (John 9:1-7).

“And it came to pass, as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He entered into a certain town, and there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off and lifted up their voice, saying: ‘Jesus, master! Have mercy on us!’ Whom, when He saw, He said: ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests!’ And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean. And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God. And he fell on his face at the feet of Jesus, giving thanks―and this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said: ‘Were not ten made clean? And where are the other nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger!’ And Jesus said to him: ‘Arise, go thy way! For thy Faith has made thee whole!’” (Luke 17:12-19).

“Jesus rose from supper, and laid aside His garments, and having taken a towel, girded Himself. After that, He put water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. He came to Simon Peter and Peter said to Him: ‘Lord, dost thou wash my feet?’ Jesus answered and said to him: ‘What I am doing thou knowest not now―but thou shalt know hereafter!’ Peter said to Him: ‘Thou shalt never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him: ‘If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with Me!’ Simon Peter said to Him: Then, Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him: ‘He that is washed is clean wholly, and only needs to wash his feet! And you are clean―but not all!’ For He knew who He was that would betray Him―therefore He said: ‘You are not all clean!’ Then, after He had washed their feet, and having taken His garments, being sat down again, He said to them: ‘Know you what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord―and you can well say that, for so I am. If then I being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; then you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also!’” (John 13:4-15).

Meditation

As the proverb says: “A woman’s [mother’s] work is never done!” The proverb does not mean to say that the woman never does any work―but that despite all the work that she does, it never seems to end, there is always something else that comes along and requires attention. One of chief areas of attention is that of washing and cleaning. The list could really be endless―like a treadmill that you cannot get off, or a vicious circle that just goes on and on! Besides having to wash and give baths to her young children, there is a lot of material washing and cleaning that has to be done. Here is just the tip of the iceberg of washing and cleaning duties:

● wash the pots, pans, dishes and utensils;
● wash the family’s clothes;
● wash sheets, bedding, towels, tablecloths, etc.;
● clean kitchen counters and stove
● clean fridge and freezer
● wipe down bathroom counters and mirrors
● wipe down the outside of all kitchen/bathroom cabinets
● clean bathroom showers and toilets
● vacuum, sweep and mop all floors
● dust surfaces; de-cobweb and dust high surfaces (e.g. ceiling fans, tops of china cabinets, etc.)
● wash doors and door trims
● wash, dust blinds & windowsills
● wash inside of trashcans (inside home and outdoor cans), etc. etc. etc.

Those things pertain to washing and cleaning material things. Yet human beings are more important than mere material objects―and in human beings, the spiritual is more important than the physical, the soul is more important than the body. Your mother will have tried to make sure that you were clean in both body and soul.

How many times has your mother spiritually cleaned you? In the very first days after your birth she showed you to the priests―so that you could be spiritually cleansed of Original Sin through the Sacrament of Baptism. She has physically cleansed you each and every day of your infancy and your early childhood. She has helped cleanse you from sin by often taking you to Confession. She has cleansed your mind from sinful, bad and erroneous thoughts by teaching you right from wrong; by warning you of dangers; by correcting and punishing you in wrongdoing.

Physical and material germs can come into the house by a multitude of avenues―the same is true of spiritual germs (temptations and sins). Just as the mother must be vigilant in preventing germs from entering and breeding in the home, so too must she be vigilant in preventing spiritual germs (temptations and sins) from gaining access to the souls of family members. Children are notoriously oblivious to the physical and moral dangers that surround them―and they hate being told: “Don’t do this! Don’t do that! This is bad for you! Leave that alone!” etc. That is one of the downsides of mothering―you don’t score very high on popularity and are seen to be a bit of a sourpuss, grouch, spoilsport, killjoy, etc. It is one of the unrewarding aspects of motherhood―policing everyone and everything.

Yet we should be thankful for such policing―especially moral policing―which, at the end of the day (or at the end of life), could save us from an eternity in Hell. “The foolish man despises his mother!” (Proverbs 15:20). “Thou shalt honor thy mother all the days of her life!” (Tobias 4:3) … “and forsake not the law of thy mother” (Proverbs 1:8) … “and despise not thy mother when she is old” (Proverbs 23:22). “He that honors his mother is like someone that lays up a treasure” (Ecclesiasticus 3:5).

Prayer

O Lord, I thank Thee for my mother! Thank you for placing her in my life, and for the blessing she is to me and my family! Thank you for the godly wisdom that she has instilled in me!

O Lord, strengthen the soul of my mother! Help her to grow in her Faith and to gain wisdom and knowledge. Help her to put her hope and trust in Thee. Help her grow in love of Thee and to call upon Thy Name in prayer each day.

O Lord, I beg of Thee graces for my mother! Please continue to bless her and surround her with Thy grace and favor. Shower her with Thy blessings each day, as she trusts in Thee. Multiply her blessings, and please provide for her every need. I pray that my family and I will continue to show her our love and support.

O Lord, I beg Thy loving protection to guard my mother. Guard her and keep her in all her ways. Watch over her going out and coming in. Give her the spiritual, mental, physical strength and stamina she needs to accomplish Thy Divine Will. Protect her from the snares of Satan, and may Thy favor and protection surround her as with a shield!

[Mention Intention]

I fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not my prayers on behalf of my mother, but ever deliver her from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Pray for my mother, O Holy Mother of God, that she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

LITANY TO THE MOTHER OF GOD ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN MOTHERS

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Thanking Your Mother

Holy Scripture

“Know also this, that, in the last days, shall come dangerous times. Men shall be lovers of themselves … disobedient to parents ... ungrateful … without affection … without kindness” (2 Timothy 3:1-3).

“What do you have that you have not received? And if you have received things, why do you glory as if you had not received them?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).

“They have not given thanks!” (Romans 1:21).

“My brethren are far from me, and my acquaintance like strangers have departed from me! My kinsfolk have forsaken me, and they that knew me have forgotten me!” (Job 19:13-14).

“In all things give thanks―for this is the will of God!” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

“Be ye thankful!” (Colossians 3:15).

“I give thanks to my God always for you!” (1 Corinthians 1:4).

“The Lord reward thee for thy work, and mayest thou receive a full reward of the Lord” (Ruth 2:12).

“I cease not to give thanks for you―making commemoration of you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:16).

“I give thanks to my God in every remembrance of you!” (Philippians 1:3).

Reading

St. Thomas Aquinas has the following to say on the virtue of gratitude and the sin of ingratitude:

Gratitude
By gratitude, we give thanks to benefactors. Gratitude is a special virtue, allied to justice and subordinate to it. We are to give thanks to every benefactor. We owe thanks to God, and, under God, to many of our fellowmen. Gratitude should be expressed in words and deeds according to circumstances and opportunities. Gratitude makes instant acknowledgment of favors by graciousness in receiving them, and by the thankful disposition of the heart. Favors themselves are to be repaid at a time convenient to the benefactor. In repaying a favor and in estimating our debt, we take into consideration the disposition of our benefactor even more than the gift he has bestowed. We are sometimes under greater obligation to one who confers a small favor with a large heart, than to one who gives something greater in a grudging spirit. The return of a favor, the repayment, should exceed in graciousness the favor received. Gratitude is due for what is freely given. An exact return of the favor received meets the moral obligation of the beneficiary, but does not include the gratitude he owes. Gratitude is something freely given over and above the amount of repayment. Hence, gratitude exceeds the favor received.

Ingratitude
Gratitude is a virtue. Its direct opposite is therefore a vice. Ingratitude is the vice which stands opposed to the virtue of gratitude. The vice of ingratitude finds expression in sins of ingratitude. Acts or sins of ingratitude are of three types: (a) failure to return a favor received; (b) failure to express thanks for a favor; (c) failure to notice that one has received a favor at all. These types of ungrateful acts are degrees, and are rated, in the order given, as bad, worse, and worst of all. Conscious ingratitude is always a sin, mortal or venial, according to the nature of the ungrateful act and the conditions of its doing. When ingratitude is complete, it is combined with contempt for the duty and obligation imposed by gratitude, and this can make it a mortal sin. Usually, however, human ingratitude is a matter of negligence or carelessness.

Meditation

Just as the Eucharist is at the heart of the Sacramental system, so too should gratitude be at the heart of our lives. The word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek “eucharistia” which means “giving thanks” or “thanksgiving.” An “attitude of gratitude” should be our daily bread. Gratitude should always be in the heart. Gratitude should be expressed from the heart―and not just the lips: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me!” (Mark 7:6). Opportunities and reasons to give thanks are infinitely abundant throughout the year.

Gratitude is an important virtue and flows from humility. St. Teresa of Avila said: “If souls are humble, they will be moved to give thanks.” The proud person is reluctant to give thanks because he believes that he is entitled to whatever is given to him. Or he is so focused on himself that he fails to notice what others do for him. It is highly likely that most children have failed to notice most of the things that their mothers have done for them―since children are usually very selfish and focused on self.

Prayer

O Lord, I thank Thee for my mother! Thank you for placing her in my life, and for the blessing she is to me and my family! Thank you for the godly wisdom that she has instilled in me!

O Lord, strengthen the soul of my mother! Help her to grow in her Faith and to gain wisdom and knowledge. Help her to put her hope and trust in Thee. Help her grow in love of Thee and to call upon Thy Name in prayer each day.

O Lord, I beg of Thee graces for my mother! Please continue to bless her and surround her with Thy grace and favor. Shower her with Thy blessings each day, as she trusts in Thee. Multiply her blessings, and please provide for her every need. I pray that my family and I will continue to show her our love and support.

O Lord, I beg Thy loving protection to guard my mother. Guard her and keep her in all her ways. Watch over her going out and coming in. Give her the spiritual, mental, physical strength and stamina she needs to accomplish Thy Divine Will. Protect her from the snares of Satan, and may Thy favor and protection surround her as with a shield!

[Mention Intention]

I fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not my prayers on behalf of my mother, but ever deliver her from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Pray for my mother, O Holy Mother of God, that she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

LITANY TO THE MOTHER OF GOD ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN MOTHERS

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Praying for Your Mother

Holy Scripture

“Let supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all!” (1 Timothy 2:1).

“Pray for her before the Lord! … Pray for her, and she shall be cleansed” (Leviticus 15:30; 12:7).

“Neglect not to pray!” (Ecclesiasticus 7:10).

“Far from me be this sin against the Lord, that I should cease to pray for you!” (1 Kings 12:23).

“I give thanks to God always for you―making a remembrance of you in prayers without ceasing!” (1 Thessalonians 1:2). “I cease not to give thanks for you―making commemoration of you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:16). “I give thanks to my God, always making a remembrance of thee in my prayers!” (Philemon 1:4). “I give thanks to my God in every remembrance of you, always in all my prayers making supplication for you all!” (Philippians 1:3-4). “I have a remembrance of thee in my prayers, night and day!” (2 Timothy 1:3).

“Pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much!” (James 5:16).

“The Lord will hear your prayers, if you continue with perseverance in fastings and prayers in the sight of the Lord!” (Judith 4:11). “He will hear the prayers of the just” (Proverbs 15:29)

“She multiplied prayers before the Lord” (1 Kings 1:12).

“It is holy and wholesome to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. (2 Machabees 12:46).

“Regard the prayer of thy servant and his supplication, O Lord my God! … Hear the prayers which thy servant pours out before thee! ... Hear the prayer which thy servant prays! … Hearken to the prayers of thy servant! … Hear thou from Heaven and show mercy!” (2 Paralipomenon 6:19-21).

“Help me in your prayers for me to God!” (Romans 15:30).

Reading

“The modern world cannot do without God. This is the root of its ills. The great truth is that we have an absolute need of God Y He normally bestows His grace only in response to prayer. Since our need exists at all times .... ‘We ought always to pray and not to faint’ (Luke 18:1) .... The true nature of Christian prayer is perfectly expressed in the following definition given by St. John Damascene and St. Thomas Aquinas: prayer is ‘a raising of the mind and heart towards God’ to offer Him our homage and to ask Him for all those things of which we stand in need” (Dom Marmion, Christ―The Ideal of the Priest, chapter 15).

The saints say many wonderful things about prayer:
“By prayer, man gives to God the greatest glory possible!” (St. Peter Julian Eymard). “As the body cannot live without nourishment, so our soul cannot be spiritually kept alive without prayer!” (St. Augustine). “It is simply impossible to live a virtuous life without prayer!” (St. John Chrysostom). “He knows how to live well who knows how to pray well!” (St. Augustine). “He who does not give up prayer, cannot possibly continue to offend God habitually. Either he will give up prayer, or he will stop sinning!” (St. Alphonsus Liguori). “When prayer is poured forth, sins are covered!” (St. Peter Julian Eymard). “He who prays most, receives most!” (St. Alphonsus Liguori). “The power of prayer is really tremendous!” (St. Therese of Lisieux).

“Prayer in our life, must not be limited to a number of isolated, passing incidents. We must cultivate a spirit of prayer. What must we understand by this? A spirit of prayer is an habitual disposition of soul whereby, in our troubles and discouragements, as well as in our joys and successes, our hearts turn towards Our Lady and Our Lord, as to our best friends and most intimate confidants of our feelings. And it is not only in the morning and in the evening that the soul should be raised Heavenwards, but always: ‘My eyes are ever towards the Lord’” (Psalm 24:15) (Dom Marmion, Christ―The Ideal of the Priest, chapter 15).

“St. Gregory the Great says: ‘Men ought by prayer to dispose themselves to receive what Almighty God from eternity has decided to give them’ (Dialogues, Book 1, chapter 8). Thus Christ, wishing to convert the Samaritan woman, led her to pray by saying to her: ‘If thou didst know the gift of God!’ In the same way, He granted Mary Magdalen a strong and gentle actual grace which inclined her to repentance and to prayer. He acted in the same way to Zacheus and the Good Thief. It is, therefore, as necessary to pray in order to obtain the help of God, as it is necessary to sow seed in order to have wheat. To those who say that what was to happen would happen, whether they prayed or not, is as foolish as to maintain that whether or not we sowed seed, wheat would still appear once summer came! Therefore, prayer is necessary to obtain the help of God, as seed is necessary for the harvest” (Rev. Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange, The Three Ages of the Interior Life, chapter 23).

Meditation

You cannot fully repay all that your mother has done for you! Only God can fully repay her! So you need to turn to God and pray to God! Your mother has given you physical life―we all realize that truth. Yet what many or most of us forget is that your mother has been instrumental in giving you a spiritual life and a chance at obtaining eternal life. She had you baptized; she taught you how to pray; she talked about God with you; she warned you of the dangers of sin; she tried to lead you along the path of virtue, etc.

If it so happened that your mother was not Catholic (and is not Catholic), then you need to pray for her that God grant her all the necessary graces for her to find the true Faith and find God in that Faith. She gave you physical life―you need to help her find eternal life. That is the greatest wish that you can have―and it is the greatest gift that she can be given. Anything else and everything else that you wish for and pray for, pales away into secondary insignificance compared to the gift of salvation. As Our Lord said: “For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). What will it profit your mother if you bury her with gifts, praise, love and attention―only to finally see her lose her soul?

Realize also that without the grace of God we can do nothing and we are nothing. One of the chief sources of grace is prayer. Jesus said: “Without Me―you can do nothing!” (John 15:5) … “Come to Me!” (Matthew 11:28) … “Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you!” (Matthew 7:7).

By all means ask for material benefits and physical health for your mother in your prayers―but all these things are nothing of substance or value without the icing on the cake―which is salvation. Sometimes God chooses to lead us to salvation without material benefits and without physical health―that is something we must always bear in mind and not become despondent if God does not grant those material and physical things. As Scripture says: “We know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to His purpose, are called to be saints!” (Romans 8:28). It is better to be sick saint than a rich reprobate!

If your mother is deceased―don’t be a fool and automatically imagine that she is lounging around on a silk couch in Heaven, nibbling grapes and sipping wine! Better to err on the safe side of things and pray for her soul! “It is holy and wholesome to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. (2 Machabees 12:46).

Prayer

O Lord, I thank Thee for my mother! Thank you for placing her in my life, and for the blessing she is to me and my family! Thank you for the godly wisdom that she has instilled in me!

O Lord, strengthen the soul of my mother! Help her to grow in her Faith and to gain wisdom and knowledge. Help her to put her hope and trust in Thee. Help her grow in love of Thee and to call upon Thy Name in prayer each day.

O Lord, I beg of Thee graces for my mother! Please continue to bless her and surround her with Thy grace and favor. Shower her with Thy blessings each day, as she trusts in Thee. Multiply her blessings, and please provide for her every need. I pray that my family and I will continue to show her our love and support.

O Lord, I beg Thy loving protection to guard my mother. Guard her and keep her in all her ways. Watch over her going out and coming in. Give her the spiritual, mental, physical strength and stamina she needs to accomplish Thy Divine Will. Protect her from the snares of Satan, and may Thy favor and protection surround her as with a shield!

[Mention Intention]

I fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not my prayers on behalf of my mother, but ever deliver her from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Pray for my mother, O Holy Mother of God, that she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

LITANY TO THE MOTHER OF GOD ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN MOTHERS

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Offered for Your Mother

Holy Scripture

“Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

“Let us go and sacrifice to our God!” (Exodus 5:8).

“The sacrifices of the children” (1 Kings 2:28).

“For by such sacrifices God’s favor is obtained” (Hebrews 13:16).

Reading

In his book, The Hidden Treasure of the Holy Mass, St. Leonard of Port Maurice writes: “The principal excellence of the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass consists in being essentially identical with that which was offered on the Cross of Calvary … In every Mass Our Redeemer returns mystically to die for us, without really dying … That same Body, that same Blood, that same Jesus Who then offered Himself upon Calvary, now offers Himself in the Holy Mass … When you enter church to hear Mass, you are going up as it were to Calvary, to be present at the death of the Redeemer … The Holy Sacrifice of Mass is no mere copy, but the one original Sacrifice of the Cross … Christ is the primary offerer of the Mass, not only because He has instituted this Holy Sacrifice, but also because in each Mass He Himself transubstantiates the bread and wine into His most Holy Body and into His most Precious Blood … Hence it results that the sacrifice itself does not cease to be agreeable to God, although the priest who celebrates may be wicked and sacrilegious, seeing that the principal offerer is Christ Our Lord, and the priest is His mere minister … O boundless treasure! O mine of inestimable stores thus possessed by us in the Church of God! O happy we if we could but assist at all these Masses! What a store of reward would be thus acquired! What a heaping up of graces in this life, what a fund of glory in the other, would be the fruit of so loving an attendance!

“You are surprised, perhaps, to hear me speak of the Mass as a stupendous work ... But if there were no sun to shine on the world, what would it be? All darkness, horror, barrenness, and misery supreme. And if there were not Holy Mass in the world? O unhappy race! We should then be vessels empty of every good, and full of evil to the brim; we should be a mark for all the thunders of the wrath of God … There are four obligations that we owe to God. The first is, to praise and honor His infinite Majesty, worthy of infinite honor, infinite praise. The second is, to satisfy for so many sins committed against that infinite Majesty. The third is, to thank Him for so many benefits received. The fourth is, to supplicate Him as the Giver of all graces. Now, how shall we wretched creatures ever be able to fulfill obligations such as these? Behold the method, a method most sweet and easy, which should console you, and every one? Let us take care to attend many Masses, to attend with all the devotion possible, and to cause them to be celebrated elsewhere as frequently as we can; and thus, even were our debts the most exorbitant, with this treasure we might be able most fully to pay them all ... While I exhort you to attend many Masses, I yet admonish you to have far more regard to devotion in hearing Mass than to the number of Masses heard―because, if you shall have more devotion in one single Mass than another man has in fifty Masses, you will give more honor to God in that single Mass than that other man with all his fifty.

Meditation

If we only had a deep enough Faith to truly appreciate the value and power of just one single Mass! There is no greater power in the whole universe! It cost the Son of God His life and His Precious Blood. We seek and purchase all kinds of goods and oddments in this life under the pretext that they will be useful to us―but what can be more useful than having the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for you! On this forthcoming Mother’s Day, much money will be spent on flowers that will quickly wilt and die and be thrown into the trash, or some other expensive gifts that do nothing but uselessly lie around. Yet who will think of having a Mass―or even better, a novena of Masses―offered for their mother?

The benefits would be infinitely greater than any gift they could purchase―and the cost would be much less than the amount they are spending on materialistic gifts. The graces that the Holy Mass would bring would infinitely outweigh any benefits that any materialistic gifts could bring. Yet somehow, for some unknown reason, we value the Mass less than we value the materialistic gifts. There are even mothers would prefer flowers and materialistic gifts more than they would prefer to have a Mass offered for them! If your mother is of such a mindset, then give her both―give her a materialistic gift and have Masses offered for her.

Prayer

O Lord, I thank Thee for my mother! Thank you for placing her in my life, and for the blessing she is to me and my family! Thank you for the godly wisdom that she has instilled in me!

O Lord, strengthen the soul of my mother! Help her to grow in her Faith and to gain wisdom and knowledge. Help her to put her hope and trust in Thee. Help her grow in love of Thee and to call upon Thy Name in prayer each day.

O Lord, I beg of Thee graces for my mother! Please continue to bless her and surround her with Thy grace and favor. Shower her with Thy blessings each day, as she trusts in Thee. Multiply her blessings, and please provide for her every need. I pray that my family and I will continue to show her our love and support.

O Lord, I beg Thy loving protection to guard my mother. Guard her and keep her in all her ways. Watch over her going out and coming in. Give her the spiritual, mental, physical strength and stamina she needs to accomplish Thy Divine Will. Protect her from the snares of Satan, and may Thy favor and protection surround her as with a shield!

[Mention Intention]

I fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not my prayers on behalf of my mother, but ever deliver her from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Pray for my mother, O Holy Mother of God, that she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

LITANY TO THE MOTHER OF GOD ON BEHALF OF OUR OWN MOTHERS

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted for each day)
Theme: Loving Your Mother

Holy Scripture

“I am the mother of fair love” (Ecclesiasticus 24:24).

“Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget―yet will not I forget thee!” (Isaias 49:15).

“When Jesus had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He said to His Mother: ‘Woman, behold thy son!’ After that, He said to the disciple: ‘Behold thy Mother!’ And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own” (John 19:26-27).

Reading

Love is the supreme virtue―just as God is the Supreme Being, for “God is love” … “God is charity” (1 John 4:8). Love is the greatest commandment, as Our Lord Himself tells us: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the greatest and the first commandment! And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these!” (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:30-31). That is why Holy Scripture adds: “Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law!” (Romans 13:10). “Let us love one another, for charity is of God. And every one that loves, is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not, knows not God: for God is charity!” (1 John 4:7-8).

“God is charity―and he that abides in charity, abides in God, and God in him … If any man say: ‘I love God!’ and hates his brother―then he is a liar! For he that loves not his brother whom he sees, how can he love God Whom he sees not? This commandment we have from God―that he who loves God, must also love his brother!” (1 John 4:16-21). To this we can add: “He loves God, must also love his or her mother!”

Without love, everything is useless or pointless: “If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not Charity―then I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all Faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not Charity―then I am nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not Charity―then it profits me nothing!” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). “Above all have charity, which is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:12-14). “Let all your things [words and deeds] be done in charity!” (1 Corinthians 16:14).

Scripture then unpacks a few items from the suitcase of charity: “Let us not love in words, nor in tongue, but by deeds!” (1 John 3:18). “Charity is patient, is kind; Charity envies not; deals not perversely; is not puffed up; is not ambitious; seeks not her own; is not provoked to anger; thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things; believeth all things; hopes all things; endures all things. Charity never falls away! Now there remain Faith, Hope, and Charity, these three―but the greatest of these is Charity” (1 Corinthians 13:4-13). “Put on, as the elect of God, mercy, kindness, humility, patience! Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another―even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:12-14). “Love is strong as death! … Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it!” (Canticles 8:6-7).

Meditation

All of our thoughts, words and actions should be driven by the fuel of charity―which is primarily a love of God. Therefore, you love your mother because you love God―and your mother is a creature that God created in His own image and likeness. You also love your mother because she “created” you in her own image and likeness―you are her flesh and blood. You lived within her for nine months, relying upon her for nourishment and safety while you grew to the point when you could finally live and survive outside your mother’s womb―but still not without your mother’s love, care and assistance.

Even if your mother has physically or emotionally hurt you, harmed you, or neglected you―you must still love her. Why? Because you have done the same to God―and He still loves you, and is always willing to forgive you and accept you back in all sincerity. God holds no grudges―you should hold no grudges. We are all sinners and we all offend each other at some time or another, to one degree or another: Who dare say: “I am clean, and without sin! I am unspotted, and there is no iniquity in me!” (Job 33:9) … “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God!” (Romans 3:23) … “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us!” (1 John 1:8-10). “For in many things we all offend. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. The tongue is a little member and boasts great things. The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison. By it we bless God and the Father: and by it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be!” (James 3:2-10).

Our Lord warns us: “For if you will forgive men their offences, then your heavenly Father will also forgive you your offences. But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences!” (Matthew 6:14-15) … “Blessed are the merciful―for they shall obtain mercy!” (Matthew 5:7). To which Scripture adds: “Let all bitterness, and anger, and indignation, and shouting be put away from you! Be kind one to another, merciful, forgiving one another―even as God has forgiven you in Christ!” (Ephesians 4:31-32). “Bearing with one another and forgiving one another―if any have a complaint against another―even as the Lord has forgiven you, so do you also!” (Colossians 3:13).

As the Imitation of Christ says: “Love is an excellent thing, a very great blessing, indeed! It makes every difficulty easy and bears all wrongs with calmness and evenness of temper. Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of troubles. Love is subject and obedient to superiors. Love is never self-seeking, for in whatever a person seeks himself, there he falls from love. Love often knows no limits, but overflows all bounds. One who is in love flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free, not bound! Love is swift, sincere, kind, pleasant, and delightful. Love is strong, patient and faithful, prudent, long-suffering, and manly. Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger, or higher, or wider; nothing is more pleasant, nothing fuller, and nothing better in Heaven or on Earth, for love is born of God and cannot rest except in God, Who is above all created things. If a man loves, he will know the sound of this voice!” (Book 3, Chapter 5). MOTHER! I LOVE YOU! LOVE ME TOO!

Prayer

O Lord, I thank Thee for my mother! Thank you for placing her in my life, and for the blessing she is to me and my family! Thank you for the godly wisdom that she has instilled in me!

O Lord, strengthen the soul of my mother! Help her to grow in her Faith and to gain wisdom and knowledge. Help her to put her hope and trust in Thee. Help her grow in love of Thee and to call upon Thy Name in prayer each day.

O Lord, I beg of Thee graces for my mother! Please continue to bless her and surround her with Thy grace and favor. Shower her with Thy blessings each day, as she trusts in Thee. Multiply her blessings, and please provide for her every need. I pray that my family and I will continue to show her our love and support.

O Lord, I beg Thy loving protection to guard my mother. Guard her and keep her in all her ways. Watch over her going out and coming in. Give her the spiritual, mental, physical strength and stamina she needs to accomplish Thy Divine Will. Protect her from the snares of Satan, and may Thy favor and protection surround her as with a shield!

[Mention Intention]

I fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God! Despise not my prayers on behalf of my mother, but ever deliver her from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.

Pray:
Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Pray for my mother, O Holy Mother of God, that she may be made worthy of the promises of Christ!

ACT OF CONSECRATION OF OUR MOTHER TO THE
MOTHER OF GOD

Most Holy Virgin Mary―Mother of God, Mother of Christ, Mother of our Savior, Mother of Mercy and Mother of the Church! I consecrate my mother to your Divine Maternity and beg you to take her under the care and protection of your Divine Motherhood. I, a poor sinner, recommend my mother to your maternal care! As a mother feeds her children, may you also nourish her with the graces of God―for He made you the Mediatrix of All Grace and distributes His graces through you! You are the Throne of Grace, the Mother of Fair Love and the Mother of Mercy.

O Mother of God! Help me and teach me how to love God with my whole heart, my whole mind, my whole soul and my whole strength! Help me also to love my mother as you love her and as she deserves to be loved. O Mother of our Savior, plant in my hearts a true and sincere desire to give a fitting return for the love my mother has shown to me in this life. Likewise, help me make a fitting return, O heavenly Mother, for all that you have done for me throughout my life. I recall your words at La Salette, where you said: “I have suffered all of the time for all of you! If I do not wish my Son to abandon you, I must take it upon myself to pray for this continually! And all of you think little of this! In vain you will pray! In vain you will act! You will never be able to make up for the trouble I have taken over for all of you!”

O Mother of my God! How little have I noticed all that you have done for me―and how little have I noticed all that my mother has done for me! Obtain for me the grace to make amends and to show greater gratitude in the time that I have left upon this Earth.

O Mother of Mercy! Mercifully accept the consecration of my mother to your maternal care and protection. Never cease to help her and never let me cease to implore your help! Keep us safe under your maternal care, nourish us with God’s grace and lead us safely to that heavenly home which God desires to give to all those who faithfully love and serve Him. Amen!