Day 6

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 most tender and compassionate of mothers, turn your eyes of mercy upon me, and lend a gracious ear to my humble prayer. Since you are more ready to give than to receive, you will find in me a fitting subject for your bounty. It is true, I have deserved that you should spurn me on account of the ingratitude I have hitherto shown to God for His benefits. You are ever ready to listen to those who pray to you, and you regard our misery and our confidence rather than our merits. No one is more miserable than I am, and yet never have I doubted your goodness. Incline then towards me that heart of yours so full of grace. O Mother of God and of men, grant me a share in those rich graces which God has given to you for the whole world's benefit. I have constant need of your help, which you on your part have a still greater desire to supply.

I wish that all the beatings of my heart were so many acts of love for you, of confidence in you, and of prayer to you, for myself and for all who are dear to me. May you have the glory one day of seeing me saved, through your intercession. O Mother of Perpetual Help, in you I hope: I shall not be confounded. 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 sustains Her devotees in the practice of virtues.

If it were sufficient to avoid sin to be agreeable in everything to the Lord, the benign office of our Mother would stop at this; for this alone, She would provide Her Perpetual Help. But God is not content with our not offending Him; He requires positive service; He wants us to be perfect: "Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." and truly, He wants us to dedicate ourselves to the practice of these Christian virtues. But how many difficulties are encountered on the path that leads to the holy mountain of perfection? It seems that good, solely because it is good, is now contrary to our corrupt nature. Just soul who have consecrated yourselves to the practice of piety, have you not found it so? O! How arid and sterile is our heart, incapable of producing any fruit worthy of life eternal if the Heavenly waters of grace do not fall to fertilize it! When a soul truly wishes to sanctify itself, it renounces itself, advancing each day in perfection, experiencing what the author of the "Imitation of Christ" says: "that sanctification is not a child's play, nor the work of one day;" then it feels the need of perpetual and powerful help, of continual assistance. Ah, and this perpetual help, perchance, do we have it? Why do we withdraw? Why turn back in the face of difficulty? Do we not have Our Lady of Perpetual Help to protect us? Take courage, generous souls; your Mother will help you. Do you not see that She presents you to the Infant Jesus? And why, except to incite us to the practice of virtue? The knowledge that his king is watching him gives courage to the warrior in combat. Thus, when good is made difficult for us When we are about to weaken, let us fix our glance on the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The sight of the adorable Infant Whom one day must reward us and encourage us, and we will have the courage to practise the most heroic virtues.

Children of Mary, would you like to be truly virtuous but always find in your interior that reserve of self-love that poisons your good works? Invoke Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and in a little while, your spirit, like Hers, will seek nothing but God's good pleasure and glory. Are you the target of continuous contradictions? Do you lack patience? Invoke Our Lady of Perpetual Help frequently, and you will be meek and humble of heart. Is it your desire to live detached from all disordered affections for creatures, but that miserable heart always takes delight in the vanities of this world? Invoke Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and you will grasp the vanity of everything created. The white lily of chastity has enamoured you -- do you want to preserve it immaculately or acquire it again if, through misfortune, you lost it? Invoke Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and soon you will be singing within yourself to Him, Who grazes among the lilies. "As the lilies among thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters." Faith, hope, and charity, queen of virtues, wish to place their throne in your heart? Who will grant you that favour but the Virgin Who bears on her forehead the star of faith and the cross that is all our hope, and in Her arms, the love of the Divine Jesus? The wound of an insult received does not want to heal in your heart? Invoke Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and you will succeed in doing good to those who offended you. Finally, are you in the flower of your age? Does the choice of a way of life concern you? Pray to Her like other souls whom She has helped, enlightening them about the world's vanities and enkindling in them the love of their God, to the point of abandoning everything and consecrating themselves to the Lord through the sacred vows of religion. And finally, if you have chosen your vocation and wish to work out your sanctification in the world, make yourself a devotee of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and you will attain it.

O with what speed those who consecrate themselves to the veneration of Our Lady advance on the path of perfection! That precious devotion seems to give them wings to fly to the heights of sanctity; let the priests who have inculcated it in their penitents speak about it. Only in Heaven will it be known how many souls have reached perfection through that so easy means. Dedicate yourselves, then, pious souls, from now on, to the service of that gracious Mother, and one day you will be Her crown in glory.

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.