Saint Aelred, a twelfth-century abbot, said, "What kind of gifts shall we offer her? Would that we could at least return what we are in duty bound to do, for we owe her honor and service, we owe her love and praise. We owe her honor, for she is the Mother of our Lord."
The most popular way to honor Our Mother of Perpetual Help is the perpetual novena, a special weekly service of prayers and devotions to Mary. Novena means "nine," so the idea would be to attend nine weekly services in a row, though many people attend services every week. The novena service usually consists of prayers and hymns to our Lady, readings from Scripture, and a sermon or homily about Mary.
Public Prayers in Honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Biblical/Liturgical Public Prayer In Honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Opening Hymn (Stand)
PRIEST: Most holy and Immaculate Virgin and our Mother Mary, you are our Perpetual Help, our refuge and our hope.
ALL: We come to you today. We thank God for all the graces received through your intercession. Mother of Perpetual Help, we promise to love you always and to do all we can to lead others to you.
PRIEST: Mother of Perpetual Help, confident of your powerful influence with God, obtain for us these graces:
ALL: The strength to overcome temptation, a perfect love for Jesus Christ, and a holy death so that we will live with you and your Son for all eternity.
PRIEST: Let us pray to be open to God's Word.
ALL: Mother of Perpetual Help, you continually sought the meaning of God's words and actions in your life. As we listen to God's Word, may the Holy Spirit enlighten our understanding and give us the courage to put his Word into practice in our daily lives.
(If homily follows, all should be seated.)
PRIEST: Let us kneel to pray as a community of faith. Mary, all generations have called you blessed, and the Almighty has done great things for you.
ALL: Mother of Perpetual Help, we call upon your most powerful name. Your very name inspires confidence and hope. May it always be on our lips, especially in time of temptation and at the hour of our death. Blessed Lady, help us whenever we call on you. Let us not be content with merely pronouncing your name. may our daily lives proclaim that you are our Mother and our Perpetual Help.
PRIEST: Let us pray for our temporal wants.
ALL: Mother of Perpetual Help, with the greatest confidence we kneel before you. We implore your help in the problems of our daily lives. Trials and sorrows often depress us; misfortunes and privations bring misery into our lives; everywhere we meet the cross. Comforter of the afflicted, beg your Son Jesus to strengthen us as we bear our burdens and to free us from our sufferings. Or if it be the will of God that we should suffer still longer, help us endure all with love and patience. May we follow the example of your Son, and through him, with him, and in him commend ourselves to the care of our Heavenly Father.
PRIEST: Let us stand now to present our petitions and our thanks. Lord Jesus Christ, at a word from Mary your Mother, you changed water into wine at Cana of Galilee. Listen now to the People of God gathered here to honor Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Grant our petitions and accept our sincere thanks.
PRIEST: Grant wisdom and guidance to our Holy Father, Pope ..., Our Bishop ..., our priests, and all the leaders of our nation, state, and community.
ALL: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.
PRIEST: Grant peace and unity throughout the world, especially in our homes and families.
ALL: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.
PRIEST: Grant that young people respond generously to the call of the Holy Spirit in deepening their faith and choosing their vocation in life.
ALL: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.
PRIEST: Grant us continued health of mind and body, and help the sick, especially ..., to regain their health according to your holy will.
ALL: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.
PRIEST: Grant eternal rest to all our deceased, especially ..., and to the souls of all the faithful departed.
ALL: Hear us, Lord, through Mary our Mother.
PRIEST: Let us pause now to silently present our own petitions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
PRIEST: Lord, accept our thanks for the new life of grace you gave us.
ALL: We thank you, Lord, through Mary our Mother.
PRIEST: Accept our thanks for all the graces received through the sacramental life of the Church.
ALL: We thank you, Lord, through Mary our Mother.
PRIEST: Accept our thanks for the spiritual and material blessings we have received.
ALL: We thank you, Lord, through Mary our Mother.
PRIEST: Let us pause now to silently thank our Mother of Perpetual Help for our own favors received.
PRIEST: Please kneel as we pray for the sick.
ALL: Lord, look upon your servants laboring under bodily weakness. Cherish and revive the souls which you have created so that, purified by their sufferings, they may soon find themselves healed by your mercy. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRIEST: May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you that he may defend you, within you that he may sustain you, before you that he may lead you, behind you that he may protect you, above you that he may bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
ALL: Amen.
PRIEST: Let us renew our confidence in Mary as a perpetual help.
ALL: Mother of Perpetual Help, you have been blessed and favored by God. You became not only the Mother of the Redeemer but the Mother of the redeemed as well. We come to you today as your loving children. Watch over us and take care of us. As you held the child Jesus in your loving arms, so take us in your arms. Be a mother ready at every moment to help us. For God who is mighty has done great things for you, and his mercy is from age to age on those who love him. Our greatest fear is that in time of temptation, we may fail to call out to you, and become lost children. Intercede for us, death Mother, in obtaining pardon for our sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance, and the grace always to call upon you, Mother of Perpetual Help.
(The following Act of Consecration is to be said the first week of the month.)
PRIEST: Let us renew our Act of Consecration.
ALL: United with the members of your confraternity here and throughout the world, we consecrate ourselves to your service. We promise to renew this dedication once a month and frequently to receive the sacraments. We beg you to obtain for us the grace to imitate your great servant, St. Alphonsus, in his love for you and your Son.
PRIEST: Let us stand now and unite with the Christians of all ages in praising Mary and in committing ourselves to her powerful protection.
ALL: Hail Mary, etc.
PRIEST: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
ALL: That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ.
PRIEST: Let us pray, Lord Jesus Christ, who gave us your Mother Mary, whose image we venerate, as a mother ready at every moment to help us; grant, we beg you, that we who call on her help may always enjoy the fruit of your redemption. This we ask through you who live and reign forever.
ALL: Amen.
Mary Our Model Public Prayer in Honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Opening Hymn (Stand)
PRIEST: Let us kneel as we gather together to honor our Mother and our Perpetual Help. We recall how she helped others. Her whole life was a lesson in love.
ALL: Mother of Perpetual Help, today we face so many difficulties. Your picture tells us so much about you. It reminds us to reach out and help those in need. Help us understand that our lives belong to others as much as they belong to us. Mary, model of Christian love, we know we cannot heal every ill or solve every problem. But with God's grace, we intend to do what we can. May we be true witnesses to the world that love for another really matters. May our daily actions proclaim how fully our lives are modeled after yours, Mother of Perpetual Help.
PRIEST: Mary, you were a woman of steadfast faith. Your faith in Jesus never wavered. Model of all believers, pray to the Holy Spirit for us. Help us not only to accept all your Son teaches us but to put that teaching into practice.
ALL: Mother of Perpetual Help, as a child, Jesus ran to you for comfort and reassurance. You did not see him as only a frail child. Moved by the Holy Spirit, you accepted Jesus as the Son of the Most High, the long-awaited Messiah. Following your example of faith, help us recognize Jesus in those we meet, especially the poor and the lonely, the sick and the elderly. Keep us always mindful, dear Mother, that whatever we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to your loving Son. May his words lie in our hearts and influence our lives and the lives of those we meet.
PRIEST: Let us pray to be open to God's Word.
ALL: Mary, woman of faith, you pondered and treasured the meaning of God's words and actions in your life. You generously responded to his Word in faith. As we listen to God's Word help us be attentive to his message. May the Holy Spirit enlighten our understanding, and give us the courage to put these words into practice.
(If homily follows, all should be seated.)
PRIEST: Let us stand as we present our petitions. Grant wisdom and guidance to our Holy Father, Pope ..., our Bishop ..., our priests, and all the leaders of our nation, state, and community.
ALL: May your Mother intercede for us, Lord.
PRIEST: Grant peace and unity throughout the world, especially in our homes and families.
ALL: May your Mother intercede for us, Lord.
PRIEST: Grant that young people respond generously to the call of the Holy Spirit in deepening their faith and choosing their vocation in life.
ALL: May your Mother intercede for us, Lord.
PRIEST: Grant us continued health of mind and body, and help the sick, especially ..., to regain their health according to your holy will.
ALL: May your Mother intercede for us, Lord.
PRIEST: Grant eternal rest to all our deceased, especially ..., and to the souls of all the faithful departed.
ALL: May your Mother intercede for us, Lord.
PRIEST: Let us pause now to silently present our own personal petitions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
PRIEST: Let us kneel as we continue our prayers:
ALL: Mary, humble handmaid of the Lord, we need your example today to discover God's will in our lives. Your always gave God the first place in your life. Just as you pondered his Word in your heart, help each of us to seek his plan in all that we do. Give us the conviction that nothing is more important than doing the will of our heavenly Father. May we spend each moment in loving and pleasing him. Help us follow your example in proclaiming, I am the servant of the Lord. I will what God wills, when he wills it, as he wills it, because he wills it.
PRIEST: Mother of Perpetual Help, your picture reminds us that we are to carry our cross as Jesus did. With courage, he endured injustice, abandonment and betrayal, pain and suffering, even a criminal's death.
ALL: Mary, we turn to you as our model in suffering and courage. you shared in your Son's suffering and death. Now you share in his Resurrection. We, too, share in the Cross of Christ, and someday, like you, we will share fully in his Resurrection. Help us be patient in our suffering, and to trust in the loving care of our Father in heaven. May those suffering sickness in mind or body experience your Son's healing power. Help us follow his example, and through him, with him, and in him, commend ourselves to the care of our heavenly Father.
PRIEST: Let us ask Mary to watch over all families.
ALL: Mother of Perpetual Help, bless our families with your tender, motherly love. May the sacrament of marriage bring husbands and wives ever closer together that they may always be faithful, and love each other as Christ loves us. Help all mothers and fathers love and cherish the children God has entrusted to them. May they always be models of a truly Christian life. Help all children, that they may love and respect their parents. Inspire all people to value Christian marriage and family life. Give us a sense of responsibility that we may do our part in making our homes havens of love and peace. Mary, our model, help every family grow daily in genuine love for God and neighbor so that justice and peace may flourish everywhere in the human family.
(The following Act of Consecration is to be said the first week of the month.)
PRIEST: Let us renew our Act of Consecration.
ALL: United with the members of your confraternity here and throughout the world, we consecrate ourselves to your service. We promise to renew this dedication once a month and frequently to receive the sacraments. We beg you to obtain for us the grace to imitate your great servant, St. Alphonsus, in his love for you and your Son.
PRIEST: From the first moment of her existence, the Holy Spirit filled Mary with his love. By his power, she became the Virgin-Mother of God. Through the same Holy Spirit, she became the perfect wife, the perfect mother. Let us imitate her generosity, her openness to the Holy Spirit, and say,
ALL: Come, Holy Spirit. Fill our hearts with your joy and your peace, with your power and your love, with your constant Presence within us.
PRIEST: Receive the Holy Spirit. May he be with you to strengthen you, above you to protect you, before you to lead you, behind you to encourage you, within you to possess you totally. Through the prayers of our holy patron, St. Alphonsus, through the intercession of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, through the Merits of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar, may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever.
ALL: Amen.
Private Prayers to Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Help For the Conversion of Sinners
Mother of Perpetual Help, you know so well the value of an immortal soul. For every soul has been redeemed by the precious blood of your divine Son. Hear my prayer as I plead for the conversion of a sinner, one who is quickly heading for eternal ruin. I know that you are the refuge of sinners. I know also that God has given you the power to bring about the conversion of even the most hardened sinner. Until now, nothing has been successful in changing this person's sinful way of life. Obtain from your Son the grace of conversion. Merciful mother, you have brought about the conversion of many sinners through the prayers of their relatives and friends. Listen to my prayer and bring about a true conversion for this unhappy soul. Mother of Perpetual Help, show that you really are the Refuge of Sinners.
Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Help In Sickness
Mother of Perpetual Help, you know how much I suffer because of my sickness. Not only my body but my soul is also affected. I do not even have the strength to pray as I should. Nothing gives me any relief. Even the visits and compassion of my friends bring me no comfort. My courage is beginning to fail; impatience and sadness are having their effect on me. Most tender and loving Mother, in my feelings of distress, I put all my trust in you. Your compassionate heart will surely have pity on me. Merciful Mother, do not forget your devoted, afflicted child's (here mention your sickness). Ask your Son, Jesus, to give me the courage and strength to accept my sickness as the will of God and to bear it with patience and resignation. If it is God's will, intercede for me in recovering my former good health; but if it is God's will that I continue to suffer, or, that this sickness should lead me to a better life, I am perfectly resigned. Loving Mother, I am confident you will obtain the grace to do whatever God asks for me. Amen.
Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Help For Financial Aid
Mary, our Mother, we know that you are our Perpetual Help, not only in our spiritual need but in our material need as well. With humble hearts and childlike confidence we beg you to help us in our present financial stress. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are now in dire need, since we cannot meet our just debts. Dear Mother, we are not asking for wealth or prosperity, but merely for help in satisfying our pressing obligations. You are the Queen of heaven and earth, and, as such, the dispenser of so many favors granted by your Son, Jesus. We know you are most kind and generous to all your devoted children. Loving Mother, we plead with you to obtain the financial help we so desperately need in our present situation. We thank you, dear Mother, and promise to make your perpetual help known far and wide. Amen.
Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Help To Know One's Vocation
Mother of Perpetual Help, behold at your feet a humble and loving child. I need your help to recognize and follow the vocation in life that God has planned for me. Mother of Perpetual Help, I know I can more easily be saved in the state of life to which I have been called through the graces of your divine Son. My only desire is to follow God's will in everything that concerns my future. For then I know I shall succeed in working out my eternal salvation. Guide and direct me in choosing the vocation in which I may best fulfill God's divine plan here on earth, and be assured of seeing and possessing him for all eternity. Amen.
Excerpt from The Mother of Millions. © 1995 Liguori Publications. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted without the written permission of Liguori Publications.
