angel announced to her about the coming Messias and His kingdom. She
believed with simple faith the words of the heavenly messenger. Only
about that which concerned her personally she asked a question. When the
wonderful mystery was explained to her, she did not ask how this _can_
be done, but only how it _shall_ be done. And after the angel had
declared to her that she shall conceive by the Holy Ghost, she was fully
resigned and announced her implicit belief in these humble words:
"Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy
word" (_Luke_ i. 38). Therefore the Holy Ghost Himself praised her by
the mouth of Elizabeth: "Blessed art thou that hast believed" (_Luke_ i.
45).
Let us remain steadfast in the profession of all articles of faith, and
let us oppose, like a strong shield, the words, "Nothing is impossible
with God," to all attacks of unbelievers, and to all doubts that may
arise in our own minds.
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
MARY most holy, I see that thy obedience united thee so closely to God,
that all creation never shall know again union so fair and so perfect. I
am overwhelmed with confusion in seeing how my sins have separated me
from God. Help me, then, gentle Mother, to repent sincerely of my sins,
that I may be reunited to thy loving Jesus.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
SIXTH DAY
Mary's Consent
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
WE ADMIRE the creative word of God, by which heaven and earth were
called into existence. But Mary's word, "Be it done to me according to
thy word," is even mightier and more efficacious; for it commands the
obedience even of the almighty Creator. Without this word of humility
and obedience the incarnation of our divine Saviour would not have been
accomplished. Mary does not say, "I accept the proposal, I agree to the
proposition," nor does she use other words of similar import. She simply
says, "Be it done to me according to thy word." It was not her own
choice, nor her own decision, but a voluntary, full, and complete
surrender to the will of God that the message found in Mary's soul,
which was expressed in these words. What a source of consolation to her
in the subsequent sorrowful and afflicted stages of her life was this
complete surrender to God's will! It comprised the tranquilizing
assurance that He to whose designs she submitted, would endow her with
the fortitude and strength necessary to co-operate with them.
PRACTICE
JUST as our divine Lord Himself became obedient unto death, thus also
His incarnation and the motherhood of Mary were the result of obedience.
Again, in contemplating the works that in the course of time were
undertaken in the Church for the glory of God and the salvation of man,
we find that only those were really great, effective, and enduring,
which had their beginning, continuation, and consummation in obedience.
Rejoice, then, if it is your happy lot to walk in the safe path of
obedience. Avail yourself of every opportunity to submit your will to
the will of your Superiors. They are the representatives of God. By
obeying them we fulfil His will, not the will of men. St. Bonaventure
calls obedience the key of heaven.
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
HOLIEST Mary, if through thy modesty thou wert troubled at the
appearance of the archangel Gabriel in thy dwelling, I am terrified at
the sight of my monstrous pride. By thy incomparable humility, which
brought forth God for men, reopened paradise and let the captive souls
go free from their prison, draw me, I pray thee, out of the deep pit
into which my sins have cast me, and make me save my soul.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
SEVENTH DAY
Mary's Fortitude in Suffering
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
ALTHOUGH Mary's consent was free, and freely given, she was clearly
convinced and perfectly conscious of the responsibility, the
obligations, and the duties involved by that consent, and which she now
assumed. Great are the duties and tearful the days of a mother who has
to raise her Son, who is also God, to be sacrificed on the cross. Mary
assumes with the dignity this responsibility. She consents to conceive
the Son of God, to give birth to Him, to nourish Him, to educate Him for
the ignominious death of the cross. When she pronounced the words, "Be
it done," her eyes were fixed on the distant tragedy of Golgotha, on the
cross towering upon its height. Yet she accepts it, together with the
dignity of Mother of God.
PRACTICE
MARY, in consenting to become the Mother of Jesus, became not only His
Mother, but the Mother of all mankind. She became, for all time, the
refuge of sinners, the health of the sick, the intercessor with God for
man; she consented to exercise a mother's love for suffering and sinful
humanity. But alas, how many of those adopted by Mary as her children
under the cross of her dying Son are unworthy of her mother love! How
many are rebellious children, who fill her heart with sorrow and
anguish! Others, faithless and obdurate, become a reproach to her. Have
you, during your past life, always been a good child of this loving
Mother? Are you to her an honor or a disgrace, a joy or a sorrow?
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
THOUGH my tongue is unhallowed, yet, purest Virgin, I presume to hail
thee every day with the angel's salutation, "Hail Mary, full of grace!"
From my heart, I pray thee, pour into my soul a little of that mighty
grace wherewith the Holy Spirit, overshadowing thee, filled thee to the
full.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
EIGHTH DAY
Mary, the Mother of God
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
MARY'S true greatness consists in her having been chosen the Mother of
God. This sublime dignity, pre-eminently her own and shared by no other
creature, elevates her to a station inconceivably exalted. Mother of
God! St. Peter Damian thus gives expression to his conception of this
dignity: "In what words may mortal man be permitted to pronounce the
praises of her who brought forth that divine Word who lives for all
eternity? Where can a tongue be found holy and pure enough to eulogize
her who bore the author of all created things, whom the elements praise
and obey in fear and trembling? When we essay to extol a martyr's
constancy, to recount his heroic acts of virtue, to describe his
devotion to his Saviour's cause and honor, we are supplied with words by
facts and occurrences that belong to the province of human experience.
But when we undertake to describe the glories of the Blessed Virgin, we
are on unknown ground, on a subject transcending all human effort. We
fail to find words suitable to portray her sublime prerogatives,
privileges, and mysteries."
PRACTICE
ST. ANSELM, writing on the motherhood of Mary, says: "It was eminently
just and proper that the creature chosen to be the Mother of God should
shine with a luster of purity far beyond anything conceivable in any
other creature under heaven. For it was to her that the eternal Father
decreed to give His only-begotten Son, whom He loves as Himself; and to
give Him in such a mysterious manner that He should be at the same time
the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin Mary. She must indeed be purity
itself, whom the Son of God elected as His Mother, and who was the
chosen Spouse of the Holy Ghost, to be overshadowed by Him to bring
forth the Second Person of that Most Blessed Trinity from whom He
Himself proceeds."
Let us honor the virgin Mother with filial devotion, gratefully greeting
her often in the words of the angel, "Hail Mary, full of grace!" Let us
remember that God alone is above Mary, and beneath her is all that is
not God.
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
I BELIEVE, holiest Mary, that almighty God was ever with thee from thy
conception, and is, by His incarnation, still more closely united to
thee. Make it thy care, I pray thee, that I may be with that same Lord
Jesus ever one heart and soul by means of sanctifying grace.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
NINTH DAY
Mary, Our Mother
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
MARY could not consent to become the Mother of the Redeemer without
including in her consent those to be redeemed. "She bore one man," says
St. Antonine, "and thereby has borne all men again. Beneath the cross
of her divine Son she has reborne us to life with great pain, just as
Eve our first mother, has borne us under the tree of forbidden fruit
unto death. That there be no doubt concerning it, her divine Son made
this declaration in His last will." "When therefore Jesus had seen His
Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He saith to His Mother,
Woman, behold thy son. After that He saith to the disciple, Behold thy
Mother" (_John_ xix. 26 27). She gave up her Son for the redemption of
mankind, and He gave us, in the person of His beloved disciple St. John,
to her as her children, declaring her our Mother. From that moment we
belong to Mary, and Mary belongs to us: "Behold thy Mother!"
PRACTICE
MARY loves us because she loves God, and because God loves us. She loves
us as her brethren who share human nature with her. She loves us as her
children, whom she has borne to eternal life. She loves us because we
are miserable and helpless. True, we offended her divine Son, but she
knows our frailty, our blindness, the assaults of the flesh and the
devil to which we are exposed; and by all this she is moved to come to
our aid.
Do not, however, imagine that this good and amiable Mother will hear
your call for assistance if you continue to offend her divine Son with
malice prepense. To obtain her aid you must make yourself in a manner
worthy of it. This you do by striving to imitate her virtues. Or is
there anything in her example that we are unable to imitate? True, we
can not attain to her perfection in virtue, but we can copy it to a
certain degree. To follow Mary's example there is no need of performing
miracles, of having ecstasies, or of doing any other extraordinary
deeds. All that is necessary is to persevere faithfully in the ordinary
duties of life, and to perform them to the best of our ability.
"Behold thy Mother!" These words of our dying Lord were addressed to the
beloved disciple St. John, but were intended for all mankind. Even as
Mary never ceases to be the Mother of God, she never will cease to be
our Mother.
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
O HOLIEST Mary, bless me, my heart and my soul, as thou thyself wast
ever blessed of God among all women; for I have this sure hope, dear
Mother, that if thou bless me while I live, then, when I die, I shall be
blessed of God in the everlasting glory of heaven.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
IV
Novena in Honor of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
[Illustration: Mary, the Mother of Sorrows]
NOTE.--Besides the indulgences granted for every novena in honor of the
Blessed Virgin Mary by Pius IX, Pope Leo XIII, January 27, 1888, granted
that all the faithful may gain, on the _third Sunday in September_,
being the second feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary (the other is
observed on the Friday before Palm Sunday), a plenary indulgence _as
often_ as they visit, after confession and communion, a church where the
Archconfraternity of the Seven Sorrows is canonically established, and
pray there for the intentions of the Holy Father. This indulgence is
applicable to the souls in purgatory.
FIRST DAY
Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Mary
PREPARATORY PRAYER
BID me bear, O Mother blessed,
On my heart the wounds impressed
Suffered by the Crucified!
Indulgence. 300 days, once a day. A plenary indulgence, on any one day,
in each month, to those who shall have practised this devotion for a
month, saying besides seven Hail Marys, followed each time by the above
invocation. Conditions: Confession, communion, and prayer for the
intentions of the Pope. (Pius IX, June 18, 1876.)
MEDITATION
FROM the dolorous way of Our Lord's passion Holy Church selected
fourteen incidents to place before us for consideration, which are
called the Stations of the Cross. In the same manner the pious devotion
of the faithful selected seven events in the life of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, and gives itself to their religious contemplation. They are: (1)
Simeon's prophecy in the Temple; (2) the flight into Egypt with the
divine Child; (3) the loss of the divine Child at Jerusalem; (4) Mary's
meeting with her Son bearing the cross; (5) Mary beneath the cross; (6)
Mary receives the body of her Son from the cross; (7) the placing of
Jesus' body in the tomb.
PRACTICE
"FORGET not the sorrows of thy mother" (_Ecclus._ vii. 29). According to
this exhortation of Holy Scripture it is our duty to remember and
meditate often on the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We ought never
to forget that our sins were the cause of the sufferings and death of
Jesus, and therefore also of the sorrows of Mary.
Holy Church celebrates two feasts in honor of the sorrows of Mary; she
approved of the Rosary and of many other devotions in honor of the Seven
Dolors, and enriched them with numerous indulgences. Let us practise
these devotions to enkindle in our hearts a true and ardent love for our
sorrowful Mother.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
GRANT, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the most blessed
Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, may intercede for us before the throne of Thy
mercy, now and at the hour of our death, through whose most holy soul,
in the hour of Thine own passion, the sword of sorrow passed. Through
Thee, Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, who livest and reignest with
the Father and the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
EVER glorious Blessed Virgin Mary, queen of martyrs, mother of mercy,
hope, and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through the sorrows
that pierced thy tender heart I beseech thee take pity on my poverty and
necessities, have compassion on my anxieties and miseries. I ask it
through the mercy of thy divine Son; I ask it through His immaculate
life, bitter passion, and ignominious death on the cross. As I am
persuaded that He honors thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses
nothing, let me experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession,
according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, now and at the
hour of my death. Amen.
Hail Mary, etc.
_Ejaculation_
Mother of Sorrows, queen of martyrs, pray for us!
SECOND DAY
Mary's First Sorrow: Simeon's Prophecy in the Temple
[Illustration: Simeon's Prophecy in the Temple]
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
FORTY days after the birth of our divine Saviour, Mary His Mother
fulfilled the law of Moses by offering Him to His divine Father in the
Temple. "And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this
man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the
Holy Ghost was in Him. And he received an answer from the Holy Ghost,
that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when His parents brought
in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he
also took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now dost Thou
dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word, in peace; because my
eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face
of all peoples. A light to the revelation of the gentiles and the glory
of Thy people Israel. And His father and mother were wondering at these
things which were spoken concerning Him. And Simeon blessed them, and
said to Mary His Mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for
the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be
contradicted; and thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many
hearts thoughts may be revealed" (_Luke_ ii. 25-35).
PRACTICE
MARY was familiar with the predictions of the prophets and knew that
ignominy, sorrow, and suffering would be her divine Son's portion
throughout His earthly career. But to have this secret of her anxious
soul thus publicly and solemnly declared by Simeon, was a sharp thrust
of that seven-edged sword which was to pierce her loving heart. In
spirit she viewed that boundless, surging sea of trials, pain, and death
on which her Son was to be tossed about, and was willing to be engulfed
in its bitter waters. Her affliction would have scarcely been greater
had the death sentence of her divine Son been pronounced then and there
and put into execution. What a sorrow, what an affliction, what a trial
for such a tender Mother! Well might she exclaim with the Royal Prophet:
"My life is wasted with grief, and my years in sighs" (_Ps._ xxx. 11).
Let us often contemplate this sorrow, and excite our hearts to a tender
compassion with the Mother of Sorrows.
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
I COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing Mary, in the grief thy tender heart
underwent when the holy old man Simeon prophesied to thee. Dear Mother,
by thy heart then so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and
the gift of the holy fear of God.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
THIRD DAY
Mary's Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt
[Illustration: The Flight into Egypt]
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
FOR the second time the sword of sorrow pierced Mary's heart when she
was commanded to fly into Egypt with her divine Child. Without
manifesting undue perplexity or discontent, she hastily gathered a few
necessaries for the journey, while St. Joseph saddled the beast of
burden. Then taking the infant Jesus into her arms and pressing Him to
her throbbing heart, the holy pilgrims set forth into the cold, starry
night, away to a foreign land, through the trackless desert, and into a
heathen country. Arrived in Egypt, the experience of Bethlehem was
renewed; no one gave them shelter.
PRACTICE
DURING this second great sorrow, what was Mary's behavior? She was
content to fulfil the will of God; she did not ask for reasons, or
complain of the fatigues of the journey, but preserved her peace of
heart amid all the trials of this severe probation. She is poor, but her
poverty does not render her unhappy or querulous. If God sends us
trials, we ought not murmur or complain. Following the example of Mary,
let us bear them submissively. If we suffer patiently with Mary on
earth, we shall enjoy eternal bliss with her in heaven.
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
I COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing Mary, for the anxiety which thy most
tender heart underwent during thy flight into Egypt and thy sojourn
there. Dear Mother, by thy heart then so sorrowful, obtain for me the
virtue of liberality, especially toward the poor, and the gift of piety.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
FOURTH DAY
Mary's Third Sorrow: Jesus Lost in Jerusalem
[Illustration: The Finding of Jesus in the Temple]
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
WHO can describe Mary's sorrow when, returning from Jerusalem, she
missed her divine Son? With St. Joseph she retraced her steps in anxious
search of Him whom her soul loved. She went to all her relatives and
acquaintances in Jerusalem, but heard no tidings of her lost Child. She
passed three long days of anxiety in her search, and this constitutes
her third sorrow. Of it, Origen writes: "On account of the ineffable
love of Mary for her divine Son, she suffered more by His loss than the
martyrs suffered amid the most cruel tortures."
PRACTICE
IN MEDITATING on this sorrow of Mary, we ought to remember how
indifferent so many Christians are after having lost God by sin. They
feel no compunction, no sorrow at having offended Him, and yet they can
weep at the loss of a trifle; they shed copious tears when their will is
crossed, or when they receive a deserved reprimand; but for the loss of
their God they have not a tear. They have lost Him, perhaps years ago,
and never make the least effort to find Him. Pray to the sorrowful
Mother that she preserve you from such a deplorable fate!
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
I COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing Mary, for the terrors felt by thy
anxious heart when thou didst lose thy dear Son, Jesus. Dear Mother, by
thy heart, then so agitated, obtain for me the virtue of chastity, and
with it the gift of knowledge.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
FIFTH DAY
Mary's Fourth Sorrow: She Meets Jesus Carrying His Cross
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
THE time was at hand when mankind's redemption was to be accomplished.
Already the divine Victim of our sins is bearing the instrument of our
salvation. Torn by the cruel scourging, crowned with thorns, and covered
with blood He proceeds on His way to Calvary, and in this pitiful
condition meets His blessed Mother. What a spectacle, what a sight for a
Mother such as Mary! Anxious to look upon her, and with one fond glance
to thank her for her heroic, unselfish love, He made an effort to change
His bowed position beneath the cross, feebly raised His head, and
directed toward her one loving glance of ineffable anguish, mingled with
grateful recognition and humble resignation. Then the sad procession
moves on, Mary following her divine Son on His way to death.
PRACTICE
WE, BY our sins, placed into the hands of the Jews and executioners the
weapons by which Jesus suffered, and thus we thrust the sword of sorrow
into Mary's heart. We repeat this, in a certain sense, as often as we
commit a grievous sin, because we thereby number ourselves among those
whom the Apostle describes as "crucifying again to themselves the Son of
God, and making Him a mockery" (_Heb._ vi. 6). Cardinal Hugo writes:
"Sinners crucify, as far as is in them, Christ our Lord, because they
repeat the cause of His crucifixion." Doing this, we thrust anew the
sword of sorrow into Mary's heart. Let this consideration fill us with
hatred for and fear of sin.
Prayer of the Church (located on the first day of the novena).
Litany of Loreto (located in the final section of the book).
_Prayer_
I COMPASSIONATE thee, sorrowing Mary, for the shock thy mother heart
experienced when Jesus met thee as He carried His cross. Dear Mother, by
that heart of thine, then so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of
patience and the gift of fortitude.
Hail Mary, etc.
Ejaculation (located on the first day of the novena).
SIXTH DAY
Mary's Fifth Sorrow: Beneath the Cross
Preparatory Prayer (located on the first day of the novena).
MEDITATION
AT THE crucifixion of Jesus the soul of Mary was plunged into a sea of
sorrow when she stood three hours under the cross. Writhing in
excruciating pain, the Son of God hung upon the tree of disgrace and
infamy, yet Mary continued to stand at its foot, tearful, grieving, yet
persevering, filled with anguish because she could do nothing to help
Him. Another great sorrow befell the heart of Mary when she slowly
withdrew her tearful gaze from the face of Jesus, and cast her weeping
eyes upon the cold and indifferent world that lay in darkness around and
about Calvary. And yet, "When Jesus therefore had seen His Mother and
the disciple standing whom He loved, He saith to His Mother, Woman,
behold Thy son. After that He saith to the disciple, Behold thy Mother"
(_John_ xix. 26, 27).
PRACTICE