Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help




Prayer Theme: Perpetual Help (Stand)




PRIEST: Most holy and Immaculate Virgin and our Mother Mary, you are our Perpetual Help, our refuge and our hope.




PEOPLE: We come to you today.
  We thank God for all the graces you have obtained for us, 
  Mother of Perpetual Help, we love you. 
  To show our love we promise to serve you always 
  and to do all in our power to lead others to you.




PRIEST: Mother of Perpetual Help, powerful with God, obtain for us these graces:




PEOPLE: The strength to triumph over temptations, 
  a perfect love for Jesus Christ, 
  and a holy death 
  so that we will live with you and your Son for all eternity.




PRIEST: Mother of Perpetual Help,




PEOPLE: Pray for us.




Reading from the Bible (Stand)




PRIEST: Let us pray.




PEOPLE: O Mother of Perpetual Help, 
  you continually sought the plan of God in His word.   You were filled with joy 
  to see this plan fulfilled in your Son. 
  As we listen to God's word 
  obtain for us the light to understand, 
  the courage to commit ourselves to Christ 
  and the grace to carry on His mission.




PRIEST: Let us listen to the words of God.




Homily (Sit)




Prayer of the Assembly (Kneel)




PRIEST: Lord Jesus Christ, at a word from Mary Your Mother You changed water into wine at Cana of Galilee. Listen now to the people of God gathered here to honor Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Grant our petitions and accept our sincere thanks.




ALL: O Mother of Perpetual Help, 
  we call upon your most powerful name. 
  You are the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. 
  Your name will always be on our lips 
  especially in time of temptation, 
  and at the hour of our death. 
  Your name is confidence and power. 
  Blessed Lady, 
  help us whenever we call on you. 
  We will not be satisfied 
  with merely pronouncing your name. 
  Our daily lives will proclaim 
  that you are truly Our Mother of Perpetual Help.




Prayer In Temporal Wants




ALL: O Mother of Perpetual Help, 
  with the greatest confidence we kneel before you. 
  We implore your help in the problems of our daily life. 
  Trials and sorrows often depress us; 
  reverses of fortune and painful privations 
  bring misery into our lives; 
  everywhere we meet the cross. 
  Have pity on us, compassionate Mother. 
  Take care of our needs, 
  free us from our sufferings 
  or if it be the will of God 
  that we should suffer still longer 
  grant that we may endure all with love and patience. 
  These graces we ask, 
  trusting not in our merits 
  but in your love and power. 
  O Mother of Perpetual Help.




Litany of the Assembly (Stand)




Petitions




PRIEST: Let us pray.
 Grant wisdom and prudence to the Holy Father, Pope ..............., our Bishop ................., our priests and all the leaders of our nation, state, and community.




PEOPLE: Hear us, Lord through Mary our Mother.




PRIEST: Grant that all men may live as brothers in social peace and religious unity.




PEOPLE: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.




PRIEST: Grant that the Holy Spirit guide the sons and daughters of our parish in choosing their way of life.




PEOPLE: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.




PRIEST: Grant that the people of our parish retain their health and that the sick, especially ................ regain their health according to Your holy will.




PEOPLE: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.




PRIEST: Grant eternal rest to all the deceased members of our parish, especially ................... and to the souls of all the faithful departed.




PEOPLE: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.




PRIEST: Grant guidance and aid in all the special intentions of this parish, especially ................... and all the needs of those present.




PEOPLE: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.




PRIEST: Let us silently present our personal petitions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. (Pause)
Thanksgiving




PRIEST: Accept, O Lord, our thanks for the new life of grace You gave us.




PEOPLE: We thank You, Lord, through Mary our Mother.




PRIEST: Accept our thanks for all the graces received from the sacramental life of the Church.




PEOPLE: We thank You, Lord, through Mary our Mother.




PRIEST: Accept our thanks for the spiritual and material blessings, especially .................... given to our parish family.




PEOPLE: We thank You, Lord, through Mary our Mother.




PRIEST: Let us thank Our Mother of Perpetual Help for the favors we have received. (Pause)
Prayer for the Sick (Kneel)




PRIEST: Let us pray.




ALL: O Lord, look upon Your servants 
  laboring under bodily weakness. 
  Cherish and revive the souls 
  which You have created 
  so that, purified by our sufferings 
  we may soon find ourselves healed by Your mercy 
  through Christ our Lord.




PEOPLE: Amen.




PRIEST: May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you that He may defend you, within you that He may sustain you, before you that He may lead you, behind you that He may protect you, above you that He may bless you. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.




PEOPLE: Amen.




The Faith of the Assembly




ALL: O Mother of Perpetual Help, 
  you are both rich and generous. 
  You distribute all the gifts that God grants to us.   You are the hope of sinners. 
  Come, then, dear Mother, for we turn to you. 
  In your hands is salvation 
  and we are in your hands. 
  We are your children. 
  Take care of us, dear Mother. 
  For if you do, there is nothing to fear. 
  From Christ you obtain forgiveness of our sins; 
  with Christ you are more powerful than all hell combined. 
  With you at our side 
  we look forward to meeting our Judge, 
  your Son, and our Brother. 
  Our only fear is 
  that in time of temptation 
  we may fail to call on you 
  and become lost children. 
  Obtain for us, then, 
  final perseverance 
  and the grace always to call upon you. 
  O Mother of Perpetual Help.




Act of Consecration
(To Be Said The First Week of the Month)




ALL: United with the members of your confraternity 
  here and throughout the world 
  we consecrate ourselves to your service. 
  We promise to renew this dedication once a month 
  and frequently to receive the sacraments. 
  We beg you to obtain for us 
  the grace to imitate your great servant, St. Alphonsus, 
  in his love for you and your Son.




Blessing of the Assembly




PRIEST: Through the prayers of our holy patron, St. Alphonsus, through the intercession of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, through the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, of the altar, may the blessing of Almightily God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever.




PEOPLE: Amen.




The Hail Mary (Stand)




PRIEST: Let us now unite with Christians of all ages in praising Mary and in committing ourselves to her powerful protection.




ALL: Hail Mary, etc.




PRIEST: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.




PEOPLE: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.


PRIEST: Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who gave us Your Mother Mary, whose image we venerate, as a mother ready at every moment to help us; grant, we beg You, that we who call on her help may always enjoy the fruit of Your redemption. This we ask through You who live and reign forever.




PEOPLE: Amen




Hymns


O Mother of Perpetual Help


O Mother of Perpetual Help,
    To thee we come imploring near,
Behold us here, from far and near,
    To ask of thee our help to be.
Behold us here, from far and near,
    To ask of thee our help to be.
Perpetual Help we beg of thee;
    Our souls from sin and sorrow free:
Direct our wandering feet aright,
    And be thyself our own true light.
Direct our wandering feet aright,
    And be thyself our own true light.



 
Immaculate Mary


Immaculate Mary, your praises we sing
Who reigns now with Christ, our Redeemer and King.
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Maria!
In heaven the blessed your glory proclaim
On earth, we, your children, invoke your fair name.
Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Maria!