Day 8 of the Novena in Honor
of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, Patroness of the United States
Preparatory Prayer to be said each day
Virgin most pure, conceived without sin, all fair and stainless in thy Conception; glorious Mary, full of grace, Mother of my God, Queen of Angels and of men, —I humbly venerate thee as Mother of my Savior, who, though He was God, taught me by his own veneration, reverence, and obedience to thee, the honour and homage that are due to thee. Vouchsafe, I pray thee, to accept this Novena which I dedicate to thee. Thou art the safe refuge of the penitent sinner; it is very fitting, then, that I should have recourse to thee. Thou art the Mother of Compassion; then wilt thou surely be moved with pity for my many miseries. Thou art my best hope after Jesus; thou canst not but accept the loving confidence that I have in thee. Make me worthy to be called thy (son or daughter), that so I may dare to cry unto thee: Show thyself a mother.
Hail Mary…nine times, and Glory Be…once.
Prayer for the Eighth Day, December 7
Mary, Virgin, sun without stain, I congratulate thee and I rejoice with thee, because God gave thee in thy Conception a greater and more abundant grace than He gave to all his angels and his saints together, even when their merits were most exalted. I thank and admire the immense beneficence of the ever blessed Trinity, who hath dispensed to thee alone this privilege. Oh, enable me too to correspond with the grace of God, and never more to receive it in vain; change my heart, and help me to begin in earnest a new life.
Continue with the Litany of the Blessed Virgin
Then conclude with the following prayer…
O God, who through the Immaculate Conception of a Virgin didst prepare a worthy dwelling-place for thy Son, we beseech Thee, who by the death of that Son, foreseen by Thee, didst preserve her from all stain of sin, to grant that by her intercession we also may be purified, and so may come to Thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all the faithful, graciously look down upon thy servant (NAME), whom Thou hast chosen to be the Pastor of thy Church; and grant him, we beseech Thee, both by word and example, so to direct those over whom Thou hast placed him, that together with the flock entrusted to his care, he may attain eternal life. Amen.
O God, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all holiness, listen to the pious prayers of thy Church, and grant that what we ask in faith we may effectually obtain, through Christ our Lord. Amen.1
Below you will find the two Christmas Novenas we are praying in preparation for Our Savior’s Birth.
Say 15 times a day from St. Andrew’s Day (30 November), ending on Christmas Eve
Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment at which the Son of God was born of a most pure Virgin at a stable at midnight in Bethlehem in the piercing cold. At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, to hear my prayers and grant my desires. (Mention your intentions here) Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother.
The third Novena we are praying is the lesser known St. Catherine of Bologna 1,000 Hail Marys Christmas Devotion.
On Christmas 1445, St. Catherine of Bologna asked the superior for permission to spend that night in prayer. She wished to offer a thousand Hail Marys in honour of the Mother of God.
At midnight, Our Lady appeared to her, holding the Child Jesus close to her breast. The Virgin placed the Child in the arms of the Saint, from whose heart overflowed ardent acts of affection and tenderness. The virginal lips of the nun touched the face of the Child, who, in response to the love of his spouse, also gave her a kiss.
Tradition tells us that the white mark which remained on St. Catherine’s incorrupt body indicates the exact spot where Jesus affectionately kissed her. In memory of this fact, to this day the people of Bologna observe the custom of reciting a thousand Hail Marys on Christmas Eve or 40 Hail Marys per day in the 25 days leading up to Christmas from November 30th through December 24th.
https://staging2.sensusfidelium.com/2019/11/29/novena-in-honor-of-our-ladys-immaculate-conception-beginning-november-29/