Novena for the Feast of the Assumption
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
First Day
Preparing for the glory of the Virgin Mary, in honour of her holy death
Let us contemplate the Virgin Mary at the hour of her death. This holy Virgin was glorified with a glory beyond words in those last moments, because her whole life had been a continual preparation for her death. So her death was holy and glorious, filled with her burning desire to see God and to be united with her divine Son.
How great were her merits before God, because of the perfect acts she performed throughout her life! Let us ask this holy Virgin to help us, through the merits of those acts, to prepare for a good and holy death, and let us implore her, saying:
O most holy Virgin, you prepared yourself for a blessed and most holy death, in order to live an everlasting life. We ask you, by the merits of this holy death and by your most blessed vision of God, to obtain for us too a good death, and to cut away from us all vain desires and earthly attachments. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
2. O most holy Virgin, by your preparation for a most holy death and by the longing of your whole life to be united with your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ask for us the grace to live faithfully for him until the hour of our death. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
3. O most holy Virgin, you strove to gain sublime merits and virtues beyond all understanding, so as to die a holy death. Intercede for us, so that we may know that the virtue and grace the Lord gives us are the road that leads us to eternal salvation. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Second Day
The glory of the Virgin Mary in the presence of the holy apostles and her beloved Son
Let us contemplate the Virgin Mary at the hour of her death. She was fully glorified, for she was comforted not only by the presence of all the apostles and saints, but even more by the presence of her Son Jesus. Let us rejoice and be glad with this great assembly, through which she was raised up by so many special graces, and let us implore her, saying:
O glorious Virgin Mary, by the consolations you received when you were granted to die in the presence of the holy apostles, intercede for us, so that when our souls leave our bodies we may be worthy to have you present with us, together with our patron saints. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
2. O glorious Virgin Mary, you who were comforted by seeing your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, pray for us, so that we too may be comforted at the hour of our death by beholding your beloved Son Jesus when we receive him as viaticum. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
3. O glorious Virgin, you placed your soul in the arms of your Son Jesus. Help us, too, to place our souls in the arms of Jesus during our life and at the hour of our death, and always to strive to do his holy will. Amen.
Third Day
The glory of the Virgin Mary at the hour of her death, when her soul left her body overwhelmed by the love of God
Let us contemplate how the most holy Virgin Mary was greatly glorified at the hour of her death, for her soul left her body because of her ever-growing love and burning longing for God. She desires that we too may be set on fire with the holy love of God. So let us implore her, saying:
O blessed Virgin Mary, by that burning love which was in you and in which you left this mortal life, pray for us to God your Son, that we too may be set on fire in the furnace of this love and may fulfil his divine will. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
2. O most blessed Virgin, you who fell asleep in divine love and knew that your death in this love was pleasing to God, intercede for us with your only Son, that he may never let us be far from him, neither in this life nor at the hour of our death. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
3. O most blessed Virgin, by the power of that spiritual rapture which divine love worked in you, you left this passing life to possess in heaven a love that never passes and that burns in your heart for ever. Intercede for us, so that we may receive a single spark of that love, and through it be able to repent truly of all our sins. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Fourth Day
The glory given to the Virgin Mary’s most pure body after her death
Let us contemplate how the Virgin Mary was glorified in her most pure body laid in the tomb: it was surrounded by brilliant golden light, great and most wonderful; it gave off fragrances like those of the heavenly paradise, and countless miracles came from it. Let us therefore consider our own misery and cry out to her with a loud voice, saying:
O our Lady, most pure Virgin Mary, who because of the perfect purity of your virginity were worthy to be glorified and to have your body shine with brilliant and majestic light, give us strength to drive away from us every impure and evil spirit. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
2. O our Lady, most pure Virgin Mary, because of your indescribable virtues your body in the tomb gave off heavenly fragrances like those of the true paradise. Make our lives holy and useful to our neighbour, and do not let anything come from us that could lead our neighbour astray through our bad example. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
3. O our Lady, most pure Virgin Mary, just by looking upon your most pure body, countless bodily illnesses were healed. Intercede for us, so that we may be delivered from all our spiritual and bodily illnesses. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Fifth Day
The glory with which the Virgin Mary’s most pure body was clothed after her death
Let us contemplate how the Virgin Mary was glorified after her death: she was raised by the power of God, and her holy body at once received the four gifts of the glorified body: brightness, agility, subtlety and impassibility. Let us now take comfort in her great glory and turn to her for refuge, saying:
O our Lady, most honoured Virgin Mary, whom God glorified with a glory beyond words by raising you from death, be our advocate, so that we may be like you when we rise, glorified with you, on the day of the Last Judgment. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
2. O our Lady, most honoured Virgin Mary, you were raised up in your body with great brightness and indescribable agility, because you rose from death thanks to your holy example and the humility of your past life. Intercede for us, so that every bad habit may be cut away from us, all worldly vanity and pride may vanish from us, and we may be adorned with holy humility. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
3. O our Lady, most honoured Virgin Mary, by the subtlety and impassibility that glorified your holy body after your glorious rising, in reward for the spiritual zeal and great patience you practised in your life on earth, ask for us the courage to put to death the strong inclinations of our body and to bear patiently all the insults and hardships that come to us in this world. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Sixth Day
The glory of the Virgin Mary in her Assumption into heaven after her death
Let us contemplate the glory of the Virgin Mary at the moment of her Assumption into heaven: countless heavenly spirits accompanied her, together with the souls she had freed from purgatory through her holy merits. Let us now join the fervour of this wonderful triumph, humble ourselves before her and take refuge in her, crying out to her and saying:
O our Queen, great Virgin Mary, who were taken up in perfect majesty to the heavenly and eternal King, cut away from us all earthly thoughts and teach our hearts to cling to the heavenly goods that never pass away. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
2. O our Lady, great Virgin Mary, whom the choirs of angels accompanied at the time of your Assumption into heaven, grant that we may root out of our hearts all resentment toward our enemies, and help us always to follow whatever our guardian angel shows us, for he is always with us and helps us toward our eternal salvation. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
3. O our Lady, great Virgin Mary, by the glory you received at the time of your Assumption into heaven, accompanied by those blessed souls you had freed from purgatory through your merits, intercede for us, so that we too may be freed from the slavery of sin and be worthy to serve you for all eternity. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Seventh Day
The glory of the Virgin Mary after her death, through the office she received in heaven
Let us contemplate how the Virgin Mary was glorified in heaven, for she became Queen of all: she received from the angels and from all the saints of heaven praise, honour and veneration without measure, and her throne was surrounded with perfect majesty. Let us implore her, saying:
O Queen of heaven and earth, most exalted Virgin Mary, who because of your measureless merits were raised to heaven in immense glory, look upon our misery with mercy and guide us by the generosity of your overflowing goodness and by your intercession, which is never refused. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
2. O Queen of heaven and earth, most exalted Virgin Mary, who are worthy to be honoured and venerated for ever by all the blessed spirits, accept that we exalt your name and always turn to you; receive our turning to you as a worthy and pleasing gift, and let this homage be offered to you in a manner fitting your greatness. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
3. O Queen of heaven and earth, most exalted Virgin Mary, by the great glory and high dignity you received in heaven, we implore you to have us written among the number of the elect, and to help us be ready to keep God’s commandments faithfully. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Eighth Day
The glory of the Virgin Mary and the crown with which she was crowned
Let us contemplate how the Virgin Mary was glorified in heaven by the royal crown with which her divine Son crowned her, because of her acknowledged merits and the good works she did throughout her life. Rich in honour, full of splendour and dignity, she thus became a very great Queen. Let us take refuge in her, saying:
O our Queen, most sublime Virgin Mary, who enjoy above the highest heavens a glory beyond words because your divine Son crowned you with a royal crown full of grace and splendour, let us share in your sublime virtues and make our bodily senses pure, so that we may be worthy to be glorified with you in the heavenly paradise for ever. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
2. O our Queen, most sublime Virgin Mary, by the great graces you were worthy to receive for the acts of virtue you practised on earth, ask for us the forgiveness of all our past faults. We also ask you, in honour of your glory, not to let us offend your greatness, either by our words or by any movement of our senses. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
3. O our Queen, most sublime Virgin Mary, by the divine gifts and graces you received from God your Lord, ask for us the forgiveness of all our sins. Help us to be pure in our looks, in our tastes and in all our actions, and make our conduct pleasing in your presence and before your majesty. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Ninth Day
The glory of the Virgin Mary after her death, for she received the power to protect all people
Let us contemplate how the Virgin Mary was glorified in heaven, for she received full power to protect people; that is why she does all she can to help us in our needs. So let us be renewed with a living faith, take this Virgin Mary, Mother of God, as our advocate in heaven, and raise our cry to her from the depths of our hearts, saying:
O our all-powerful advocate, Virgin Mary, who were glorified in heaven to be the advocate of humanity, snatch us from the enemies of hell and place us in the arms of your Son, our Lord and Creator. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
2. O our all-powerful advocate, Virgin Mary, by the great glory you obtained in heaven, we ask you to work hard to defend people of every kind and to help them all obtain eternal salvation through you. Do not let us despair because of our many falls into sin and wrongdoing during our life on earth, but help us to hope for their forgiveness through the mercy of your Son and your own tenderness. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
3. O our all-powerful advocate, Virgin Mary, because of your high office you desire that people glorify you for ever. Grant us the spirit of true devotion, keep us and guard us by your grace, and help us always to turn to you during our life, and especially at the fearful moment of the hour of our death. Amen.
(Hail Mary, three times)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
