Novena Prayers in Preparation for the Feast Day of Mother Mary
Birthday
Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Child, lovable Mary,
the Eternal Father delights in your birth,
for He beholds in your coming into this world
one of His creatures who is so perfect
that she will become the worthy Mother of His divine Son.
May your birth give joy to my soul also,
by obtaining for me from the heavenly Father,
the pardon of my sins
and an abiding sorrow for them.
Dearest Mother, please pray for me
and for these my intentions…
……………………………… (State your intentions)
5 Hail Mary…
Prayer:
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,
was the herald of joy to the whole world;
since from you arose the Sun of Justice,
Christ our God, who, destroying the curse,
bestowed the blessing
and confounding death,
rewarded us with life everlasting.
V, Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us pray:
Grant to us Your servants, we beseech You, O Lord,
the gift of Your heavenly grace,
that as our salvation was begun
in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin,
so, from this solemn festival of her Nativity
may we obtain an increase of peace.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
At the Birth of the Blessed Virgin, the Immaculate Conception is made visible for all to see. Today we can begin to carry out Our Lord’s dying desire “Behold your mother!” (Jn 19:27).
As we gaze upon the beauty of Mary, we experience the reversal of the evil effects of the fall of both angels and humankind.
When Mary looks upon her own beauty manifested at her nativity, the sight moves the affection of her Immaculate Heart to the Highest Good – and she takes us with her! And so, today as we begin our journey to her nativity, we remind ourselves of her Immaculate Conception by this most beautiful prayer of St Pius X.
O Most Holy Virgin
By St Pope Pius X (1835-1914)
Most holy Virgin,
who pleased our Lord and became His Mother,
Virgin Immaculate in your body and soul,
in your faith and love,
at this solemn jubilee of the promulgation of the dogma
which proclaimed you
to the entire world as conceived without sin,
look kindly on us, unfortunate ones,
who implore your powerful protection.
The infernal serpent,
upon whom the primeval curse was laid,
continues, alas, to attack and tempt
the hapless children of Eve.
Ah! Do you, our blessed Mother,
our Queen and Advocate,
who at the first moment of your conception
did crush the enemy’s head,
do you gather together our prayers
and we beseech you (our hearts one with yours),
present them before God’s throne,
that we may never allow ourselves
to be caught in the snares laid for us
but that we may reach the portal of salvation
and that the Church and Christian society
may once more chant the hymn of deliverance,
of victory and of peace. Amen
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
OR
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Novena Prayers – Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
V. O God, come to my aid +
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Child, lovable Mary, the Eternal Father delights in your birth, for He beholds in your coming into this world one of His creatures who is so perfect that she will become the worthy Mother of His divine Son. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining for me from the heavenly Father, the pardon of my sins, and an abiding sorrow for them. Dearest Mother, please pray for me and for these my intentions…
Scriptural Meditation
“She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women, you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:42-45)
Pause for a moment…
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Prayer
Oh, Blessed Virgin Mary! Chosen and destined by the majestic Trinity to be the Mother of the only begotten Son of the Father, announced by the prophets, expected from the Patriarchs, and desired by all people; Tabernacle and living Temple of the Holy Spirit, Sun without spot, because you were conceived without original sin, Lady of heaven and earth, Queen of angels; we humbly come before you, and rejoice in the solemn annual celebration of your joyful birth; and from the depths of our hearts, we beseech you to be graciously born spiritually in our souls, so that they may be captivated by your love and sweetness, may we always remain united to your so sweet and loving heart.
Today, we beseech your maternal intercession on behalf of all families who trust in your loving intercession, especially (mention the names of the families you wish to pray for). You know their anxieties, pains, sufferings, challenges, etc. We ask that through the prayers of this novena, God may look with mercy upon these families and be gracious to them, the same way mercy and graciousness were shown to Joachim and Anne your holy Parents by your immaculate conception and birth. Amen.
1 Our Father… 10 Hail Marys… (State your private intentions)… 1 Glory be…
The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Short Invocations to Our Lady
Great Mary (Pray for us)
Greatest of Marys
Greatest of Women
Mother of Eternal Glory
Mother of the Golden Light
Honour of the Sky
Temple of the Divinity
Fountain of the Gardens
Serene as the Moon
Bright as the Sun
Garden Enclosed
Temple of the Living God
Light of Nazareth
Beauty of the World
Queen of Life
Ladder of Heaven
Mother of God.
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
May the Divine assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
O Mary conceived and born without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.
Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, was the herald of joy to the whole world; since from you arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, who, destroying the curse, bestowed the blessing, and confounding death, rewarded us with life everlasting.
V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us pray
Grant that we, your servants, Lord
may enjoy unfailing health of mind and body,
and through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary in her glory
free us from our sorrows in this world
and give us eternal happiness in the next.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessing+
Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may the Lord bless + us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
Final Anthem to the Blessed Virgin Mary
O come to the throne of grace,
O come to the heart most pure!
To Mary, our hope of life,
In whom salvation is sure.
O Lady of Fatima, hail!
Immaculate Mother of grace;
O, pray for us, help us today,
The hope of the human race!
Immaculate Heart! we kneel
To consecrate all to thee:
The present, its pain and joy,
The future, all it may be.
O Lady of Fatima, hail!
Immaculate Mother of grace;
O, pray for us, help us today,
Thou hope of the human race!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Conclude this Novena with the Holy Rosary at any hour of the day, either 5 or 10 or 15 or 20 decades. You may choose to say the Rosary before the Novena prayers. The Rosary Prayer Is Compulsory!)
