* Sign of the cross
*Say this Novena prayer to begin:
My dearest Mother Mary, behold me, your child,
in prayer at your feet. Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you in
accordance with your requests at Fatima, as a proof of my tender love for you,
for the intentions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in atonement for the offenses
committed against your Immaculate Heart, and for this special favor which I
earnestly request in my Rosary Novena:
(Mention your
request)
I beg you to present my petition to your
Divine Son. If you will pray for me, I cannot be refused. I know, dearest
Mother, that you want me to seek God’s Holy Will concerning my request. If what
I ask for should not be granted, pray that I may receive that which will be of
greater benefit to my soul.
I offer
you this spiritual “Bouquet of Roses” because I love you. I put all my
confidence in you, since your prayers before God are most powerful. For the
greater glory of God and for the sake of Jesus, your loving Son, hear and grant
my prayer. Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
* Hail Mary
* Recite the thanksgiving prayer
as follows:
Hail Queen of the Most Holy Rosary my Mother Mary,
Hail! At your feet I gratefully kneel to
offer you a crown of roses, snow-white buds to remind you of your joys--each
bud recalling to you a holy mystery; each ten bound together with my petition
for a particular grace.
O Holy Queen dispenser of God's graces and Mother
of all who invoke you! You cannot look upon my gift and fail to see its
binding. As you receive my gift, so you will
receive my thanksgiving; from your bounty you have given me the favor I so
earnestly and trustingly sought.
I did not despair of what I asked of you, and you
have truly shown yourself my Mother!
* Say the rosary
* The
First Joyful Mystery
The Annunciation
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to
a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The
virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one!
The Lord is with you.”
But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of
greeting this might be. The angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear
a son, and you will name him Jesus. He
will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God
will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary
said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The
angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born
will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also
conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.
For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it
be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Luke 1: 26-38
The Annunciation to Mary
inaugurates the ‘fullness of time’ (Gal 4:4), the time of fulfilment of God’s
promises and preparations (CCC, 484). Mary, you received with deep humility the
news of the Angel Gabriel that you were to be the Mother of the Son of God.
Grant that I may always accept the will of God with humility like yours.
Amen
I bind these snow white buds with a petition for the virtue of: THE LOVE OF HUMILITY
I humbly lay this bouquet at your feet.
*The
Second Joyful Mystery
The Visitation
In those days Mary set out and
went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the
house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and
exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the
mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your
greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed
that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. And
Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely,
from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done
great things for me, and holy is his name.
Luke 1:39-49
Mary’s visitation of Elizabeth thus became a visit
from God to His people (CCC, 717). Mary, you showed true charity in visiting
Elizabeth and remaining with her for three months before the birth of John the
Baptist. Grant me the grace to support and love my neighbor.
Amen
I bind these snow white buds with a petition for
the virtue of: CHARITY TOWARDS MY
NEIGHBOR
I humbly lay this bouquet at your feet.
*The
Third Joyful Mystery
The Nativity
And so it was, that, while they were there, the time came for her to
have her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them
in the inn. And there shepherds in that region living in the fields, keeping
watch over their flock by night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them, and
the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were afraid. And the
angel said to them, "Do not be afraid: for, behold, I bring you good news
of great joy that will be for all people. For today in the city of David a
Saviour a savior has been born which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a
sign unto you; you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a
manger."
Luke 2:
6-12
Jesus was born in a humble stable to a poor family.
Simple shepherds were the first witnesses to this event. In this poverty
heaven’s glory was made manifest (CCC, 535). Mary, you lovingly accepted the
poverty of the stable, although you were to give birth to our God and Redeemer.
Grant me the grace to endure poverty when I long for richer things.
Amen
I bind these snow white buds with a petition for
the virtue of: THE SPIRIT OF POVERTY
I humbly lay this bouquet at your feet.
*The
Fourth Joyful Mystery
The Presentation
When the time came for their purification according to
the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn
male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in
the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Now
there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon;
this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of
Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It
had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before
he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents
brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon
took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are
dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have
seen your salvation, which you have prepared in
the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to
the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child’s father and
mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This
child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a
sign that will be opposed so that the inner
thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Luke 2:
22-35
Jesus’ circumcision, on the 8th day
after his birth, is the sign of his incorporation into Abraham’s descendants,
into the people of the covenant. It is the sign of his submission to the Law
(CCC, 527). Mary, you observed the law of God in presenting the Child Jesus in
the temple. Help me to grow in the virtue of obedience.
Amen
I bind these snow white buds with a petition for
the virtue of: PURITY AND OBEDIENCE
I humbly lay this bouquet at your feet.
I humbly lay this bouquet at your feet.
*The
Fifth Joyful Mystery
Finding of the Child
Jesus in The Temple
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the
feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to
Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days,
as they returned, the child Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and
his mother did not know. But they, supposing him to have been in the company,
went a day's journey; and they sought him among their relatives and acquaintances.
And when they didn’t find him, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking
him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them
questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and
answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said to him,
"Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking
for you with great anxiety". And he said to them, "Why were you
looking for me? Did you not know that I would be in my Father’s house?"
But they did not understand what he said to them. And he went down with them,
and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them: but his mother kept all these
sayings in her heart.
Luke 2: 41-51
The finding of Jesus in the temple is the only
event that breaks the silence of the Gospels about the hidden years of Jesus.
Here Jesus lets us catch a glimpse of the mystery of his total consecration to
a mission that flows from his divine sonship: “Did you not know that I must be
about my Father’s work?” (Lk 2:49) (CCC, 534).
I bind these snow white buds with a petition for
the virtue of: piety
I humbly lay this bouquet at your feet.
*SPIRITUAL
COMMUNION
My Jesus, really present in the most Holy Sacrament
of the Altar, since I cannot now receive You under the sacramental veil, I ask
You, with a heart full of love and longing, to come spiritually into my soul
through the Immaculate heart of Your most Holy Mother, and abide with me
forever; You in me, and I in You in time and in eternity, in Mary.
*Prayer in THANKSGIVING
Sweet Mother Mary, I offer you this Spiritual
Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon your brow in
thanksgiving for (specify request) which you in your love has obtained for me.
O God! Who’s only-begotten Son, by His life, death,
and resurrection, has purchased for us the reward of eternal life; grant, we
ask You, that, meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they
promise. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the divine assistance remain always with
us. Amen.
And may the souls of the faithful departed, through
the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
Holy Virgin, with the loving Child, thy blessing
give to us this day.
*HAIL HOLY QUEEN
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our
sweetness, and our hope. To Thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To
Thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy towards us. And after
this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Oh clement,
Oh loving, Oh sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, Oh Holy Mother of God. That we
may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
*MEMORARE
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
* PRAYER TO ST. MICHAEL
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits, who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits, who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
*The Sign of the Cross
