Day 3

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.

And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O my God, because you are so good, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you, and by the help of your grace, I will not sin again. Amen.

If you can, pray the Chaplet and the Litany of Our Mother of Perpetual Help on each day of the Novena. You can skip this step, or come back to the Novena afterwards.

To be said on each day of the Novena.

O Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, I salute you with filial devotion. I renew the consecration of myself, and all I have, to you. I thank you for your maternal protection and for the many blessings that I have received through your wondrous mercy and most powerful intercession. In all my necessities I have recourse to you with unbounded confidence, O Help of Christians, O Mother of Mercy. I beseech you now to hear my prayer and to obtain for me of your divine Son the favour that I request in this novena.

Here mention your petition.

Obtain for me, also, dearest Mother, the grace that I may imitate you and become more like you in the practice of the virtues of humility, purity, submission to the will of God, and charity. Be my protectress in life, guard and guide me in dangers, direct me in difficulties, lead me in the way of perfection, and assist me in the hour of my death, that I may come to Jesus, and with thee enjoy Him, bless Him, and love Him eternally in Heaven. Amen.

O Mother of my God and Saviour Jesus Christ, you are indeed my true Mother, and I am indeed your child. What happiness for me thus to think of you, and to be able to call you my Mother. O Queen of Angels, the title of Child of Mary is more glorious in my eyes, and more sweet to me than all the great titles so boasted of in the world. To be called your child is dearer to me by far than the honour and dignity of any name on earth. But alas! How utterly unworthy I am of a holy Mother, who might well be ashamed of such a child as I am.

You are pure as light; pious, humble, full of charity and sweetness. Your heart is as a furnace of divine love: and I am stained with countless sins, attached to earth, proud, harsh to my brethren, and cold towards my God. O my Mother, I detest my iniquities. Obtain pardon for me. I groan under my miseries, and I spread them before your pitying eyes, that you may cure them. Make me somewhat like you, save me from my evil inclinations. Mother of God, grow not weary at my crying, turn not away your face from me because I am so defiled; but put an end to my importunity by helping me speedily, for till you have heard me, I will not cease to cry to you. O my Mother, my Mother Mary, come to my help. Be my Mother, and make me your worthy child. Amen.

Pray the Hail Mary three times.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help,

pray for us.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help assists Her devotees to overcome lukewarmness.

Yesterday, we saw how great is the tenderness of Our Lady with great sinners, but it is no less great with another class of souls in need, those who are called tepid and are in a state almost as dangerous as that of mortal sin.

Although these negligent souls, who at times frequent the sacraments, do indeed wish to avoid mortal sin, nevertheless, they do not try to serve God, filling their lives with voluntary venial sins; with superficiality, they recite their prayers and carry out other devotions; they hear mass, perhaps go to confession and receive Communion, but they do it out of routine and for human considerations; without fruit, without advancing in virtue; anger, lies, murmurings, rash judgements, nasty words, envies, laziness, vanity, impurities, dangerous and useless conversations, disordered attachment to the things of the world and other similar faults easily find their place in the hearts of tepid persons. Think of the great risk of being condemned for being in this state. St. Teresa saw the place for which she was destined in Hell if she were not more fervent. In the opinion of St. Chrysostom, we must have more fear of habitual venial sins than mortal sins because, says this great saint, mortal sin is monstrous and inspires horror. At the same time, tepidity leaves us calm and unconcerned. And was it not perchance against tepidity that Our Lord has proffered these tremendous words: "I would that thou wert cold," that is, that you would be in mortal sin! Who would believe it if God Himself had not said it?" But because thou art lukewarm, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth." Who does not have a horror of vomit? That is why St. Gregory writes: "I do not despair of seeing a sinner, as yet unconverted, saved; but rather for the salvation of a soul that has fallen into tepidity." A terrible sentence that the doctors confirm when they teach that it is almost impossible for a tepid soul to be converted. O, careless soul! It is sufficient to commit a habitual sin deliberately to be tepid and to find oneself in this danger. What will become of you who commit so many faults with as much ease as the thirsty swallow water? But then, the soul who finds itself in the state will say to me: "Is there then no remedy for me, and must I abandon myself to despair?"

O, unfortunate soul! It is difficult for you to be converted. But with all that, do not despair. Consider that what is impossible on Earth is not so in Heaven. If you wish with all the earnestness of your will to throw off this dismal yoke, I will tell you a way as efficacious as it is easy. Lift your glance; contemplate the image of your most kind Mother of Perpetual Help. Do you not see a brilliant star on Her forehead? It is the symbol of your hope. Place your confidence in Her, begin to serve Her with fidelity, and you will feel your heart transformed.

Devotion to this Mother of fair love is incompatible with culpable negligence. O, how many souls have given up their tepidity on the same day they have begun to be Her devotees? What is lacking to you is the powerful love that fears to displease the lovable Jesus, for She is the Mother of this fervent charity that beautifies souls. She wishes to grant it to you more than you want to receive it. Do you want the miracle of Cana re-enacted for you? Invoke Her with love. She will present you to the Divine Infant Who rests in Her arms, saying to Him: "Vinum non habent."(They have no wine) "My son, see this poor soul who does not have true love." And then your coldness will be converted into a fervour, as the water was converted into wine. Our Lady will inspire in you a living desire to consecrate yourself without reserve to the Lord; She will give you a special delight in meditating on eternal truths; She will communicate to you a singular devotion to the August Sacrament of our altar; and thus you will be able to break the chains that imprison you and again be the delight of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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

O Mother of Perpetual Help, we place before you all the intentions entrusted to you by those who pray with us here: the sick and the suffering, families in need, those seeking work, those carrying burdens known to you alone, and all who give thanks for favours received.

We pray for one another, though we may never meet. Take every petition into your motherly heart and present it to your Son. Obtain for each of us what is for God's glory and our true good, and the grace to accept His holy will in all things.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help,

pray for us. Amen.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defence against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

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.

Antiphon

Thou art Perpetual Help benign. Come, therefore, I implore Thee.

The refrain is sung after each verse.

Most Blessed Virgin, Immaculate Queen and my Mother Mary, refuge and consolation of all creatures: I come before your throne with my entire family. I choose you for my Lady, my Mother, and my advocate with God. I dedicate myself to your service with all who are near and dear to me. Receive us as your children, I beg of you, O Mother of God. Keep us under your protection, especially at the hour of our death. O Mother of Mercy, I appoint you the mistress and ruler of my whole household, my family, my interests, my affairs. Please do not refuse this charge. Bless me and all my loved ones, and never allow us to be far from your Son.

Never let the devil glory in enslaving any one of us who is now consecrated to you. Grant that we may all arrive in heaven to thank you, and to praise and love Jesus our Redeemer together with you for all eternity. Amen.