Novena
in honor of
Our Lady's
Immaculate Conception

pdf file


Introduction:
"This novena is offered by the Franciscan DiscipleshipCommission of St. Bonaventure Province to help prepare for the celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The booklet is formatted so it can be used year after year. These prayers may be prayed together at table or added to any hour of common prayer. The novena takes place on the nine days before December 8. These prayers are also intended as preparation for the Act of Consecration of the Order to Our Lady, which is renewed every December 8. On December 8, the novena prayers are not repeated. "The "golden thread" of the Franciscan order is our constant love and devotion to our Blessed Lady— an unbroken thread extending from St. Francis to the present. Our promotion and defense of Our Lady's Immaculate Conception, throughout the centuries, reached fruition in 1854, when Blessed Pope Pius IX, a Secular Franciscan, proclaimed this belief to be a dogma of the Church. To this day, the friars in Rome, at the Basilica of Santi Apostoli, conduct the Solemn Novena of the Immaculate Conception before Our Lady's feast on December 8. We are part of this "golden thread." May this celebration of "our" feast, worthily express our love and devotion as we honor our Heavenly Mother. May every heart be guided by Our Blessed Lady's gentle hand to her Son, who in his great love, gave us his sinless Mother, as our own. "
Novena in Honor of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception

The following are read only on the first day of the novena, November 29th.

Example of St. Francis:
Leader: Francis embraced the Mother of Jesus within expressible love, since she made the Lord of Majesty a brother to us. He honored her, pouredout prayers to her, and offered her his love in a way that no human tongue can express. But what gives us greatest joy is that he entrusted the Order to her, placing under her mantle the sons and daughters to be left behind, that she might protect and cherish them to the end. - Adapted from: “The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul by Thomas of Celano”, Chapter CL, #198

Exhortation:
All the friars should fervently venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary in the mystery of the Immaculate Conception as the special protectress of the Order and as our Queen. All the friars shall celebrate that feast everywhere with as much solemnity as possible, on this occasion renewing the consecration of the Order to her; and they should encourage and spread devotion to the mystery of the Immaculate Conception as much as they can. - Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (77.2)

Daily Novena

Leader:Holy Virgin Mary,
All: among the women born into the world,
there is no one like you.
Daughter and servant
of the most high and supreme King
and of the Father in heaven,
Mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ,
Spouse of the Holy Spirit,
pray for us
with Saint Michael the Archangel,
all the powers of heaven, and all the saints,
at the side of your most holy beloved Son, our Lord and Teacher.

St. Francis: Antiphon from the Office of the Passion

Leader: You are all fair, O Mary.
All: No touch of original sin is in you.
Leader: Your raiment is bright as snow.
All:Your countenance is as the sun.
Leader: You are the exultation of Jerusalem.
All: You are the joy of Israel.
Leader: You are the glory of our people.
All: You are the defense of sinners.
Leader: You are the wisest of virgins.
All: You are the kindest of mothers.
Leader: O Mary, blessed are you above all women upon the earth.
All: You were free from sin from the moment of your conception.
Leader: Pray for us.
All: Intercede for us with your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Leader: We pray with Francis and the friars after him, forming with them an unbroken "golden thread" of filial devotion for Mary, our Mother and our Queen:

Please turn to the daily prayer:

Day 1 - Nov. 29
 Day 4 - Dec. 2
 Day 7 - Dec. 5
Day 2 - Nov. 30
 Day 5 - Dec. 3
 Day 8 - Dec. 6
Day 3 - Dec. 1
 Day 6 - Dec. 4
 Day 9 - Dec. 7

Day 1 - November 29
Prayers of St Francis

Leader: Hail, O Lady,
All: Holy Queen, Mary, holy Mother of God, who are the Virgin made Church, chosen by the most Holy Father in heaven consecrated by Him with His most holy beloved Son and with the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, on you descended and in you still remains all fullness of grace and every good.
Hail His Palace!
Hail His Tabernacle!
Hail His Dwelling!
Hail His Robe!
Hail His Servant!
Hail His Mother!

Salutation of Our Lady

Hail Advocate of the Poor!
Fulfill toward us your duty as protectress
until the time set by the Father! Amen.

The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soulby Thomas of Celano, Chapter CL, #198

Continue with the Concluding Prayer


Day 2 - November 30
Prayer of St. Anthony of Lisbon and Padua

Leader: Our Lady,
All: we ask you for that singular hope
that our souls be illumined by the brilliance of your grace,
cleansed by the brightness of your purity,
and warmed by the comfort of your visitation.
With your help,
may we be reconciled with your Son,
and so come to share in His glory;
He whom the angel announced to you,
who assumed your glorious flesh,
and who wished to live in you for nine months.
To Him be honor and glory forever. Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer


Day 3 - December 1
 Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Leader: O blessed Lady,
All: Our Lord has become our brother
and our Savior, by means of you.
The Holy Spirit has made you fruitful;
the power of the Most High
has overshadowed you.
By the excellence of your sanctity,
you surpass all angels and archangels.
Blessed be your most pure conception.
Blessed be the virginal bringing forth.
Blessed be the purity of your body.
Blessed be the sweetness of the mercy of your heart.
Blessed are they, O Virgin Mary,
who love your name;
your grace will comfort their souls.
They will be refreshed as by fountains of water.
You will produce in them the fruit of justice.
God has blessed the works of your hands.
Your mercy and your grace are preached everywhere. Amen.

Office of the Blessed Virgin


Continue with the Concluding Prayer


Day 4 - December 2

Petition of Blessed John Duns Scotus


Leader: O Immaculate Virgin and Mother,
with our brother, John Duns Scotus,
we turn to you in humble petition:
All: "Permit us to praise you, O Most Holy Virgin,
and give us strength against your enemies." Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer


Day 5 - December 3

Prayer of St. Joseph of Cupertino
Leader: Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of the Lord,
All: rose without thorn, lily of love,
refuge of sinners, have pity on us.
Gain for us the grace of final perseverance.
Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer


Day 6 - December 4

Prayer of St. Francis Anthony Fasani
Leader: O Immaculate Conception:
All: Among all creatures pure,
you, Mary, are the perfect one;
you alone are the blessed one
from among all women.

You are the lily among the thorns,
you are the Rose of Jericho;
you are the Mother, Daughter and Spouse
of the God who created you.
O Immaculate Conception! Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer


Day 7 - December 5

 Prayer of St. Francis Anthony Fasani
Leader: O Immaculate Conception:
All: You are Mother of the Lord,
but preserved in your virginity;
you stand alone and you have no equal;
you are distinct and pre-elected.

You are elect, like the sun;
you are beautiful, like the moon;
you are a light never failing,
never wanting, never weakening.
O Immaculate Conception! Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer


Day 8 - December 6

Prayer of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe

Leader: Who are you, O Immaculate Conception?
All: You are uniquely privileged
among all the children of Eve.
You are not just a creature of God,
not only an adopted child,
but the very Mother of God.
You alone are the Immaculate Conception!
Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer


Day 9 - December 7

Prayer of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe

Leader: O Immaculate Mother,
All: when will you become Queen of every soul?
When will all the souls in the entire world know the goodness and love of your heart toward them?
When will every soul show you its gratitude with ardent love,
so that you may form them according to the pattern of the Sacred Heart of your Son?
May we, your children, be dedicated to this cause until our last breath.
Help us, Our Queen, Our Lady,
Our dearest Mother. Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer


Concluding Prayer:
Leader: Accept, O Lord, the prayers we offer in preparation for the solemn feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Grant that as we proclaim her to have been preserved by your grace from all stain of sin, so through her intercession may we be freed from all our sins. Grant this through her Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
All: Amen.
Leader: O Mary, conceived without sin,
All: Pray for us who have recourse to you.


December 8 - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception


Leader: All the friars should fervently venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary in the mystery of the Immaculate Conception as the special protectress of the Order and as our Queen. All the friars shall celebrate that feast everywhere with as much solemnity as possible, on this occasion renewing the consecration of the Order to her; and they should encourage and spread devotion to the mystery of the Immaculate Conception as much as they can. - Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (77.2)

Act of Consecration of the Order to Mary
Please kneel

Leader: Immaculate Virgin,
Queen of the entire Seraphic Order,
look down upon us.

All: We kneel before your throne of love and mercy.
We consecrate our beloved Order to your Immaculate Heart.
Leader: We publicly profess:
All: That we truly wish to follow the example of our seraphic father Francis.
We consecrate ourselves to you wholly and without reserve.

Leader: Immaculate Heart of our Mother and Queen,
we lovingly place in your hands,
our heart, our body, and our soul.
We profess solemnly and with childlike love:
All: That you are our Lady and our Queen.
To you we belong all together.
To you we give ourselves with all that we are
and all that we have,
our spiritual blessings and our temporal goods.
We entrust ourselves entirely to your care.
This we do for the greater honor of God,
for the prosperity of holy Mother Church,
and for the welfare of our Holy Father, N…
Leader: We consign and consecrate to you:
All:Our words and actions, our prayers and sufferings,
our acts of penance and of love,
our apostolic works and trials,
the smallest duties of our state of life.

Leader: May all of it be directed and guided by you,
so that throughout the world
there may be renewed and strengthened,
the kingdom of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:
the kingdom of truth and life,
the kingdom of holiness and grace,
the kingdom of justice, charity, and peace.


Leader: We consecrate to you:
All: Our ministers, guardians, and directors,
the novices and candidates,
and all our brothers and sisters in the entire Franciscan family,
so that they may be strengthened by God's grace,
to remain full of zeal and true to their vocation until death.

Leader: Immaculate Heart of Mary:
All: Make holy and perfect all the members of our Order.
Leader:Immaculate Heart, full of burning love:
All: Fill our hearts with the glow of seraphic love.
Leader:Obedient Heart of Mary:
All: Help us faithfully keep the commandments of God, and the precepts of our holy Rule. Amen.

 
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