may arrive at that heavenly kingdom which thou hast promised to little children, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Novena

IN PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE *

COME

CONCEPTION.

(Beginning on the 29th November.)

EVERY DAY.

YOME, O holy Ghost, fill the hearts of thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of thy divine love. V. Send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be created. R. And thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

LET US PRAY.

GOD, who hast taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant to us in the same spirit to relish what is right, and ever to rejoice in his consolation.

:

Prevent our actions, we beseech thee, O Lord, by thy inspiration, and further them by thy continual help that every prayer and work of ours may begin from thee, and by thee be happily ended, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

PREPARATORY PRAYER.

[To be said every day.]

MOST pure Virgin, conceived without sin, and from that very first instant entirely beautiful and *Indulgences: 300 days each day; plenary once on the Feast, or during the Octave. Applicable to the dead.-PIUS VII.

without spot, O glorious Mary, full of grace, and Mother of my God, Queen of Angels and of men, I humbly venerate thee as Mother of my Saviour, inasmuch as he has taught me by the esteem he has for thee, and by his respect and submission towards thee, what honours and what homage I ought to render thee, deign, I beseech thee, to accept this Novena which I consecrate to thee. Thou art the secure refuge of penitent sinners, and I therefore may rightly have recourse to thee; thou art the Mother of Mercy, and therefore thou canst not but be melted into tenderness by my miseries; thou, after Jesus Christ, art all my hope; thou canst not, then, but be pleased with the tender confidence which I have in thee. Make me worthy to be called thy son, that I may be able to say with confidence, shew thyself to be a Mother.

Here are to be said nine Hail Marys and a Glory be to the Father, and then the following

B

PRAYER FOR THE FIRST DAY,

The 29th of November

EHOLD me at thy most holy feet, O immaculate Virgin. I rejoice with thee exceedingly that from all eternity thou hast been chosen to be the Mother of the Eternal Word, and been preserved from original sin. I thank and bless the most holy Trinity for having enriched thee with these privileges in thy conception; and I humbly implore thee to obtain for me grace to overcome those sad effects which original sin has wrought in me. Ah, do thou enable me to conquer them, and never more to cease to love my God.

Here is to be recited the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, or the following

LET US PRAY,

GOD, who by the Virgin's immaculate conception didst prepare a worthy dwelling for thy Son, we beseech thee, that thou, who by the death of that same Son of thine, foreseen by thee, didst preserve her from every stain, wouldst grant that by her intercession we also may be purified, and so come to thee.

Then the following:

GOD, the shepherd and ruler of all the faithful, look mercifully down on thy servant Leo, whom thou hast chosen to be the shepherd of thy Church. Grant, we beseech thee, that he may both by word and example benefit those whom he governs, that, together with the flock entrusted to his care, he may come to life everlasting.

O God, our refuge and our strength, listen to the holy prayers of thy Church, who art thyself the author of holiness, and grant that what we faithfully ask for we may efficaciously obtain, through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

On the other days, let everything be said as above, except the following prayers.

PRAYER FOR THE SECOND DAY.

The 30th November.

MARY, immaculate

of

I

with thee, that from the very first instant of thy conception thou hast been filled with grace, and also that the perfect use of reason was conferred on thee. I thank and adore the most holy Trinity for having imparted to thee graces so sublime; and I am utterly confounded before thee to see myself so poor in

grace. Do thou, who wast so entirely filled with heavenly grace, give some portion of it to my soul, and make me partaker of the treasures of thy immaculate conception.

Here the Litany, or Hymn " Tota pulchra," as before, is to be said.

PRAYER FOR THE THIRD DAY.

The 1st of December.

MARY, mystical rose of charity, I rejoice with thee that thou didst gloriously triumph in thy immaculate conception over the infernal serpent, and that thou wast conceived without stain of original sin. I thank and praise with all my heart the most holy Trinity for having granted to thee such a privilege; and I implore thee to obtain for me courage to overcome every device of the infernal enemy, and not to stain my soul with sin. Ah, do thou always assist me; and let me, under thy protection, ever triumph over the common enemies of our eternal salvation. Here the Litany, or the Hymn, as before, is to be said.

ΟΙ

PRAYER FOR THE FOURTH DAY.

The 2nd of December.

IMMACULATE Virgin Mary, mirror of virtue, I rejoice with the utmost joy to see that the inost sublime and perfect virtues have been from thy first conception infused into thee, and with them all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I thank and praise the most holy Trinity for having favoured thee with these privileges; and I implore thee, O gracious Mother, to obtain for me the practice of virtues, and to render me thus worthy to receive the gifts and the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Here the Litany, or the Hymn, as before, is to be said.