Novena To Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Day 2

ACT OF CONTRITION

My Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man, my father and redeemer, behold at Thy feet a poor sinner who has so grievously afflicted Thy loving Heart. O lovable Jesus, how could i have offended thee and filled with bitterness that Heart that love me so and that has spared no effort to attain my love? How great has been my in gratitude! But, O my saviour, be consoled, be consoled, I say to thee; now i find myself repentant, such grief i feel for the afflictions i have caused thee, that i would like to die of poor sorrow and contrition. O my Jesus! who could have make me weep for sin as Thou hast wept for them in Thy mortal life! My soul is oppressed for having offended Thee. Eternal father, in satisfaction for my offences I offer Thee the affliction and sorrow the Heart of Thy Divine Son has felt for them. And Thou, O Loving Jesus! give me such a horror for sin that from now on it may make me avoid even the most trifling of faults. Depart from my heart, earthly affections; I do not want to love anything now but my most bountiful Redeemer. O my Jesus, help me, strengthen me, and pardon me.

My Mother of perpetual help, intercede for me and obtain for me the pardon of my sins.

PREPARATORY PRAYER

(To be said everyday)

O Most Blessed Virgin Mary! Who to inspire us with boundless confidence has been pleased to take the sweet name of Mother of Perpetual help, I implore Thee to come to my aid always and everywhere, in my temptations, after my falls, in my difficulties, in all the miseries of life, and above all, at the hour of my death. Give me, O loving Mother, the desire, nay more, the habit always to have recourse to Thee, for i feel assured that if i am faithful in invoking Thee, Thou will be faithful in coming to my assistance. Obtain for me, then, this grace of graces, the grace to pray to Thee without ceasing, and with childlike trust, that, by means of my constant plea, I may ensure Thy Perpetual Help and final perseverance. Bless me, O tender and solicitous Mother, pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Amen

SECOND DAY MEDITATION

Our Lady of Perpetual Help assists her devotee to cease sinning

Among men, titles are often more than vain designations that does not correspond to reality. In Mary, on the contrary, titles are always an expression of the most obvious truth. And thus the blessed Virgin is called, and is truly the Perpetual Help of all the unfortunate who have recourse to Her. Consider, however, that there is one class of Unfortunates for whom the most loving Mother seems to reserve her most tender glances and whom She makes special object of Her most compassionate concern: they are the poor sinners, and it easy to understand the reason behind that predilection.

The greater the misfortune of a child, the more maternal love increases. Well then, what greater misfortune is there than that of being separated from Jesus and being chained to the shameful slavery of the devil? By losing sanctifying grace, the unhappy one has made himself the target of divine anger; the ire of God clamours against him, and if death should surprise him, oh, What a calamity! His lot will be among the reprobate. That is why the kindest of mothers pours out on Her children, the sinners, all the treasures of the mercy and tenderness of Her maternal Heart. She attract them with the sweetness of her name: Mother of Perpetual help; with the fame of Her miracles and even with her merciful glance.

How many have not felt moved and converted on exchanging glances with this miraculous Virgin! That glance, filled with sadness and compassion, seems to say to the sinner: Unfortunate one! How long? How long will you afflict with your offences the tender Son you see in My arms? How long will you offer Him gall and vinegar, rendering His passion and death useless? How long will you afflict me, your mother, and thrust into my Heart, one after the other, most cruel swords? How long will you persist in running toward the eternal abyss? My child, how long? Tender words that only the heart hears; wondrous words that illuminate the understanding, soften the hardened heart, melt it, and finally, wrest it that cry of repentant prodigal:” I have sinned, My God; forgive me, forgive me.” His tears flow abundantly and the Virgin presents them to Her beloved Son and the sinner is converted.

Say if it is not so, you who have found before Her image repentance, life, pardon, peace and joy in your heart. Is it surprising then, that among the wonders the Virgin of Perpetual Help works every day, the stupendous conversions due to Her intercession number in Thousands! So certain it is that a pious writer said: “I do not know of any more efficacious nor more rapid means to obtain the conversion of a sinner than to inspire in him a tender and sincere devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.” And why would that wonder working image want to be entrusted to a congregation of missionaries, accompanying them to the most remote towns and going in search of straying sheep in the most unknown and forgotten cottages?

Thus, beloved sinner, no matter what the number or the gravity of your faults, no matter how hardened your heart is, all is not yet lost for you. Lift your spirit! Take courage! Have recourse to Our Mother of Perpetual Help and you will obtain forgiveness. She is the most safe refuge of the sinner who sincerely wants to return to his God. Tell Her, then, with all your heart: ” O Mother of Perpetual Help! filled with confidence in Thy kindness and mercy, I throw myself at Thy feet. I come wounded with the arrow of repentance. My having offended God grieves me; my Mother, obtain for me true repentance and forgiveness. ” You will see that this benign Mother will make you return to grace and to friendship with your God. Amen.

Meditate and ask for what you wish to obtain from Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

JOYS

AT THE END OF EACH PARAGRAPH SAY

“Come hasten to assist me, O Mother sweet and kind!”

Thou art Perpetual Help benign;
Come, therefore, I implore Thee:
Come hasten to assist me.
O Mother sweet and kind!

Hear, O Virgin pure,
Our fervent prayers of love
That fly to Thee above
On Thine exalted Throne.

Stained by guilt and sin
I bow my head and cry;
And at Thy feet I sigh
for clemency and love.

Free the careless soul
From it tepid ways,
And set the soul ablaze
with fervour in devotion

Wretched in this vale
Of pain and tribulation,
For heavenly consolation
I humbly beg of Thee.

If my virtue wanes
When tempests howl and roar,
My energies restore
Beloved Morning Star.

To Thy faithful child
Encouragement provide,
And toward virtue guide
His weak unsteady step.

Free my fickle heart
from all its lassitude,
And grant it fortitude
To lead a sinless life.

In the final clash
With death in all its fright,
How great my soul’s delight
If then i can exclaim:

In purgatory’s fire,
Dear Mother, please be sweet;
Great Lady, I entreat,
Alleviate my pains.

Grant me, Mother dear,
As fond farewell to Thee,
To sing eternally
With love and praise to Thee:

Come hasten to assist me
O Mother sweet and kind!

EJACULATORY PRAYER

O Mother of Perpetual Help! Obtain for me the pardon of my sins and the grace of weeping for them until death.

EXERCISE

Recite the “Hail Holy Queen” for the conversion of the most hardened sinners.

PRAYER

O Mother of Perpetual Help! On seeing myself so contemptible and stained, I should not dare to come to thee and call Thee my Mother, but i do not want my miseries to deprive me of the consolation and the confidence i feel penetrating me upon uttering Thy sweet name. I do not deserve Thy hearing me; I am a miserable sinner; but, oh, the evil is done. Thou cants remedy it I beg Thee earnestly, my Mother, to come to my aid and to have mercy on me. I know Thou lovest even the most miserable sinners and thou goest in search of them to save them. I deserve Hell. it is true: I am the most miserable of sinners, but Thou dost not need to come in search of me. I present myself spontaneously before Thee with the firm hope that Thou will not reject me. Behold me here at Thy feet; my Mother, I will not depart from Thy feet until Thy Son has said to me as to Magdalene. “Thy sins are forgiven thee.”

EXAMPLE

Among the many wonders that Our Lady of Perpetual Help performed on the island of St. Maurice (Africa), the following conversion is noteworthy. A young woman was rolling down the slopes of vice; in order to give free reign to her passions she had abandoned her paternal home. Be assured that it is impossible for a human creature to have ever fallen into an abyss of corruption as deep as this unfortunate young islander. Her desolate mother bewailed in silence with bitter tears the perdition of her daughter. She had recourse to the Virgin of Perpetual Help to obtain the conversion of the young woman. She began a novena. And on the second day, Lo and behold, the young girl happened to pass by the church, entered it, and found herself in front of the image of the Blessed Virgin. In spite of herself, the image attracted the glances of the unhappy sinner. That was sufficient to overcome her; torrents of tears flowed from her eyes, her breast choked in sobs, and the dart of repentance opened the way to the point of wounding this most hardened heart. The loving and afflicted mother arrived at the Church to continue her novena, and what was her surprise and joy on finding there her daughter! Transported with joy, she flew in search of the missionary priest and returned with great haste in his company to admire that Magdalene bathed in tears at the feet of Mary of Perpetual Help, to whom the wonder of her conversion was due. This happened in the year 1871.

May the virgin Of Perpetual Help be loved, praised, invoked and eternally blessed! May she be my hope, my love, my Mother, My refuge and my life. Amen.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP PRAYER DAY 3