Day Nine
Novena to Our Lady of Good Success
Act of Repentance
To be said first, each day of the novena
I believe in Thee, O my God. Strengthen, O Lord, my faith. I hope in Thee, O my God. Affirm, O Lord, my hope. I love Thee, O my God; increase, O Lord, my love. I repent of having offended Thee. O my God, help me to have contrition, so that with the help of Thy grace and the powerful patronage of Holy Mary of Good Success, I may never sin again. O Lord, have pity and mercy on me. Amen.
Opening Prayer
To be said each day of the novena
O most Excellent and Immaculate Queen of Heaven, Holy Mary of Good Success, most favored Daughter of the Eternal Father, most beloved Mother of the Divine Son, most cherished Spouse of the Holy Spirit, sublime Throne of the Divine Majesty, August Temple of the Holy Trinity, in whom the Three Divine Persons have placed the treasures of Their Power, Wisdom and Love!
Remember, Virgin Mary of Good Success, whom God hath made so great so that thou canst give succor to miserable sinners; remember that thou hast often promised to show thyself a merciful Mother to those who have recourse to thee. I come to thee then, Mother most merciful, and I beg thee, for thy love of the Most High, that thou should obtain for me from God the Father a lively Faith that never loses sight of the eternal truths; from the Son, a firm Hope that always aspires to reach that glory that He won for me with His Blood; and from the Holy Ghost, a charity so inflamed that I will always live loving the Supreme Goodness and thee, Most Holy Virgin, until through thy intervention I will love and enjoy thee eternally in glory. Amen.
We salute thee Mary, as the Favored Daughter of God the Father.
Hail Mary...
We salute thee Mary, as the Chosen Mother of the Divine Son.
Hail Mary...
We salute thee Mary, as the Singular Spouse of the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father…
Day Nine
Consider how the humble sister felt on hearing the command of Holy Mary, to have a statue made of the same size and appearance as the apparition. She excused herself saying that it would be impossible, that no sculptor could reproduce such rare beauty or render with precision its proper proportions. The beautiful Lady, with a most amiable forbearance, replied to her, “Do not fear for this reason. Take off the cord around your waist and measure my height.”
Since, from a natural fear, the religious did not dare to touch Mary with her hands, the Heavenly Queen herself took the end of the cord and held it to her head, while the sister touched it to her feet to measure the exact height of the marvelous vision. Then Holy Mary said: “Here, as I told you, you have the height for the statue that you should order to be made, and the rest of the measurements should be in proportion to it. Place the statue in the place I have indicated with a crosier and the keys of the cloister in my right hand, for I desire to be Advocate and Protectress of this Convent.” Having said this, the vision disappeared.
The heart of the sister who had just received such a signal favor and so pleasing a mission was penetrated, filled with gratitude and warm sentiments for Mary Most Holy! O my soul, search in your heart for those sentiments, and be dissolved in gratitude for Mary of Good Success, our Advocate and Protectress. Let me venerate her Image with the most tender gratitude and the vehement desire of corresponding to such singular benefits by leading a life that is holy, obedient, and observant of all the duties of my state of life.
Then the holy sister who had been favored with this vision made efforts to find an accomplished sculptor to begin the work on this statue that Mary herself had ordered to be made. Thus this statue, full of sweetness and majesty, will last until the end of time. Venerated in the upper choir of this Convent, the religious there always have recourse to her in their most grave conflicts. So also has she been the refuge of all people who come to her in their necessities, and through her intercession many portentous favors and special graces have been obtained.
The measurements given by Mary symbolize the measure of her humility, obedience, and love of God and neighbor, which she gives to us so that we might strive to reproduce them. Imitate her, and you will carry an image of the Virgin Most Holy in your heart. Strive like that holy sister to make the moral image of your Virgin Mother in your customs and sentiments, in your bearing and way of acting, in your fidelity to your daily duties and prayers, in your meekness and candor, in your purity and detachment from earthly things, thus aspiring only to heavenly goods.
Prayer
Oh God! Tender Father of Thy creatures Who in every manner demonstrates Thy paternal care and guidance for us, principally by giving us Mary Most Holy as our advocate, protectress, and model ideal of virtue, infuse our hearts with a constant desire to imitate our Mother and Queen, modeling our thoughts, desires, and actions after those of Mary Most Holy so that we might be like Her in all that our fragile nature permits. Assisted by Thy Divine Grace, may we conquer our passions and receive the choicest graces that our Mother grants to her children who confidently come to her as Advocate in their pressing needs. May we find her ready to assist us in the last difficult moment of life, and afterward enjoy the pleasure of her company in Heaven forever and ever. Amen
Act of Thanksgiving to the Blessed Virgin
To be said each day of the novena
O Virgin blessed among all women! We lack the words to give thee thanks for the innumerable blessings that we have received from thy hand. The day of thy birth can be called the day of thanksgiving, happiness, and consolation. Thou art the honor of mankind, the joy of Paradise, the beloved gift of God, and the well-being of our country. What merit do we have, Blessed Virgin of Good Success, to deserve to have thee as our Mother? May God be forever blessed Who hath desired it so! Blessed also art thou, Virgin Mary, because despite our ingratitude, thou showest us thy propitious favor.
Thus art thou, most clement Mother, our consolation on earth, our refuge, our help, and our protection in both our public and private needs. Safeguard us from war, pestilence, hunger, storms, earthquakes, and all the calamities that we merit by our guilt. Pray for the Holy Church and for her visible head. Hear the supplications of those who invoke thee. Be thou our Advocate, our Mother, for as thus do we place our confidence in thee. To thee do we have recourse, and through thy intercession we hope to achieve from thy Son pardon for our sins and perseverance in grace until death. Amen.
Here, each one raising up his heart to God, should ask, through the intercession of Blessed Mary of Good Success, that grace or favor which he desires to receive.
Praises to the Holy Virgin
To be said each day of the novena
O Virgin Mary, our Mother preeminent above all on earth.
Response: Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
Above all others, thou wert attentive to the Word of the Father, Who doth great things in thy honor.
Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
Thou art the most worthy temple of the Most Holy Trinity.
Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
In thee is that same purity the Angels enjoy.
Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
The Christian world proclaims that thou dost reign on the right side of the King of Kings.
Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
O Mother of Grace! O our hope! Port of the shipwrecked and star of the sea,
Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
Gate of Heaven, health of the sick, light in the darkness.
Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
Through thee, we will find ourselves before God in the court of the Saints, where He lives and reigns forever.
Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
Guide our steps and help us, O sweet Mary, in our last hours.
Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
Receive this praise from our tender lips, which cannot express thy singular grandeur.
Come to our assistance and show us mercy, because thou art our Mother.
Antiphon: Holy Mary, save the miserable, help the weak, intercede for the afflicted, plead for the people, intercede for the clergy, petition for the faithful. Permit all those who celebrate thy holy memory to experience thy favor and assistance.
V. Pray for us, O Virgin of Good Success!
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final Prayer
We ask thee, our Lord and God, that Thou grant us health of soul and body through the intercession of the glorious Virgin Mary. Through her merits and those of her sovereign Child Jesus, we hope to be freed from the present evils and to attain eternal happiness. Amen.
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8
The novena by Fr. José M. Urrate, S.J.has an Imprimatur by the Archbishop of Quito Carlos Maria, issued from the Ecclesiastical Government of the Archdiocese of Quito on July 31, 1941
Translated and edited by Marian T. Horvat, Ph.D., Copyright 2003.
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