My Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man, my father and Redeemer, behold at Thy feet a poor sinner who has so grievously afflicted Thy loving Heart. O lovable Jesus, how could I have offended thee and filled with bitterness that Heart that loves me so and that has spared no effort to attain my love? How great has been my ingratitude! But, O my saviour, be consoled, be consoled, I say to thee; now I find myself repentant, such grief I feel for the afflictions I have caused thee, that I would like to die of poor sorrow and contrition. O my Jesus! Who could have made me weep for sin as Thou hast wept for them in Thy mortal life! My soul is oppressed for having offended Thee. Eternal Father, in satisfaction for my offences, I offer Thee the affliction and sorrow the Heart of Thy Divine Son has felt for them. And Thou, O Loving Jesus! Give me such a horror for sin that it may make me avoid even the most trifling of faults from now on. Depart from my Heart, earthly affections; I do not want to love anything now but my most bountiful Redeemer. O my Jesus, help me, strengthen me, and pardon me.
My Mother of Perpetual Help, intercede for me and obtain for me the pardon of my sins.
PREPARATORY PRAYER
(To be said everyday)
O Most Blessed Virgin Mary! Whom to inspire us with boundless confidence has been pleased to take the sweet name of Mother of Perpetual Help; I implore Thee to come to my aid always and everywhere, in my temptations, after my falls, in my difficulties, in all the miseries of life, and above all, at the hour of my death. Give me, O loving Mother, the desire, nay more, the habit always to have recourse to Thee, for I feel assured that if I am faithful in invoking Thee, Thou will be faithful in coming to my assistance. Obtain for me, then, this grace of graces, the grace to pray to Thee without ceasing and with childlike trust, that, by means of my constant plea, I may ensure Thy Perpetual Help and final perseverance. Bless me, O tender and solicitous Mother, pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Amen
EIGHTH DAY MEDITATION
Our Lady of Perpetual Help assists Her devotees at the hour of death.
Consider that, although man needs the benign help of Mary at all times and in all circumstances, never, however, as much as in the anxieties of death, which are the greatest that can be experienced in this world.
Terrible, indeed, very awful, are the afflictions of the dying. Everything conspires to make those last moments terrible: the memory of sins committed, the fear of the incomprehensible judgements of an offended God, the uncertainty of eternal salvation, everything, everything. Especially then, Hell arms itself and puts into action all its forces to possess the soul that is going to pass into eternity because it knows that only a little time remains before it is to be judged and that, if it does not succeed in ruining it, it will be saved forever. That is why the wicked spirit, accustomed to tempting it in life, is not content solely with tempting it at the hour of death but even calls his companions to help him. They say that, at the moment of St. Andrew Avellino's death, ten thousand devils gathered in his cell to tempt him.
But if, at that time, we have on our side the most powerful help of Mary, who will be able to overcome us? And, how will that gracious Mother deny us Her aid if we persevere in asking for it? She revealed to St. Gertrude that She grants aid to Her devotees, at the point of death, for as many times as they have implored Her in life.
O, my friend! How fortunate you will be if you find yourself bound by the chains of love to Our Lady of Perpetual Help at the critical moment of death. These are the chains of salvation and eternal glory. No, that tender Mother does not know how to abandon Her true devotees at that supreme moment. She is the Mother of Perpetual Help, and just as She has helped them in their exile, so also She exhibits Her sweetness at the hour of death and obtains a sweet and happy end for them.
And above all, showing Herself worthy of the beautiful name She bears, She sends the prince St. Michael with all the angels to the aids of Her faithful dying children, so they go then to defend them from the snares of the devils and receive the souls of all those who have continually commended themselves to Her.
She is not content with sending angels to the aid of Her devotees; She will come in person to assist them in their last moments.
Since that great day when She had good fortune and at the same time the sorrow of assisting Her son Jesus, Who is the first of the predestined, She obtained the grace of assisting all of them also at the terrible moment of death. That is why the Holy Church makes us pray for Her to help us, especially in the hour of our death: " Pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death."
And this is found to conform with what the Blessed Virgin said to St. Bridget, speaking of Her devotees: " Then, My daughter, as their Mistress and Mother, when they die, I will go out to meet them so they may have consolation and comfort." The loving Queen then covers these souls with Her mantle and presents them to the judge, Her Son, and thus indeed attains salvation for them.
Christian, although you may have been a sinner, you will not cease experiencing this consolation, provided that, from now on, you manage to live well and to serve this gracious and most amiable Lady. In your anguish and the temptations with which the devil will assault you at death to make you despair, Our Mother of Perpetual Help will give you fortitude and come Herself to defend you. And, with such a Mother and Protector, what will you fear, O sinner?
Meditate and ask for what you wish to obtain from Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
JOYS
AT THE END OF EACH PARAGRAPH SAY
Thou art Perpetual Help benign;
Come, therefore, I implore Thee:
Come hasten to assist me.
O Mother sweet and kind!
Hear, O Virgin pure,
Our fervent prayers of love
That fly to Thee above
On Thine exalted Throne.
Stained by guilt and sin
I bow my head and cry;
And at Thy feet I sigh
for clemency and love.
Free the careless soul
From it tepid ways,
And set the soul ablaze
with fervour in devotion
Wretched in this vale
Of pain and tribulation,
For heavenly consolation
I humbly beg of Thee.
If my virtue wanes
When tempests howl and roar,
My energies restore
Beloved Morning Star.
To Thy faithful child
Encouragement provide,
And toward virtue guide
His weak unsteady step.
Free my fickle heart
from all its lassitude,
And grant it fortitude
To lead a sinless life.
In the final clash
With death in all its fright,
How great my soul's delight
If then I can exclaim:
In purgatory's fire,
Dear Mother, please be sweet;
Great Lady, I entreat,
Alleviate my pains.
Grant me, Mother dear,
As fond farewell to Thee,
To sing eternally
With love and praise to Thee:
Come hasten to assist me
O Mother sweet and kind!
EJACULATORY PRAYER
O Mother of Perpetual Help! Pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen
EXERCISE
Commend yourself three times daily to Our Lady of Perpetual Help to attain a happy death.
PRAYER
O Mother of Perpetual Help! What will become of me when I am at the point of delivering my soul to God? From now on, when I consider my sins when I think of that terrible moment that must decide my salvation or my eternal perdition, I begin to tremble and become perplexed. O my Mother of Perpetual Help! Do not abandon me in that tremendous hour. What will become of me if Thou dost abandon me in that supreme moment! O, Holy Virgin, my Hope, come to my aid in the tremendous anguish in which I will be held prisoner. Fortify me when the devil wants to fling me into despair by the memory of the sins I have committed. Obtain for me the grace to invoke Thee then more often than ever, so that I may die uttering Thy most sweet name, together with that of Thy adorable Son, and that I may die in the love of God and Thee, to go afterwards to love Thee eternally in Paradise. Amen.
EXAMPLE
A woman from the pontifical States went one day to Rome to venerate the miraculous image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. A priest, to whom she addressed herself, asked her the motive that had decided her to undertake such a long trip. She answered him: " My husband told me several times that a very miraculous image of the Virgin, called Our Lady of Perpetual Help, was venerated in this church. He often commended himself to Her and received many graces through her intercession. A little while ago, he died. He told me he saw Our Lady at his bedside when he approached death. He received such consolation from this apparition that he seemed not to feel the pains of death, and he died so gently and piously that I do not doubt his salvation, and my greatest happiness would be to die as he did."
May Our Lady Of Perpetual Help be loved, praised, invoked and eternally blessed! May she be my hope, love, mother, refuge, and life. Amen.
CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
Mother of perpetual help, I freely and consciously dedicate my body, soul and spirit to Your Immaculate Heart and the Sacred Heart of Jesus today. May two hearts of love protect my life and soul from the attacks of the devil and the fire of hell.
My Queen and Mother, before Your throne of mercy, I come for help and intercession. I beg for mercy and healing touch upon me and those that are sick, especially those that are terminally ill. Mother of mercy, present all those sick before your Son; our lord Jesus Christ, the greatest physician; for miraculous cure and wholeness. Uproot every infirmity in our lives and grant us divine healing.
Mother of perpetual help, intercede for me now and always, be my constant and sure aid in times of need, trouble or affliction. Help me always to serve, love and obey your Son, my lord Jesus Christ. Lead me by the hand in this life that I live, that I may not stray from the path of life, but live according to the will of God, in order to have a blessed life here on Earth and to rejoice also in the afterlife.
I commit to You today, my life. I pray that You sustain and increase all sources of my joy and happiness and remove every form of discomfort and pain not of God in my life. Give me the grace to serve and please God that He may bless, favour and guard me in all I do.
I pray for the grace always to be your devotee and always call on you daily. I consecrate my family to you, asking you to always intercede on our behalf at every moment and at all times, and I also ask you to preserve our soul and lead us to your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I give you my whole life and my entire being, asking you to take strict possession of me from now henceforth as your property. I also consecrate today all family members, wherever they are, asking you to take over their lives.
Mother of perpetual help, I give you my heart and my soul. Preserve them in love and for the love of Your Son, my lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Make my heart fear God and desist from displeasing and hurting God as long as I live. Give me the grace to love Him honestly with all my heart, mind, strength, and neighbour as myself. Mother, preserve me in my earthly journey so that I can attain salvation at the end of my life, there to rejoice forever with you and the heavenly host.
Amen
PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP FOR A SPIRITUAL NEED
(Optional)
Oh mother of perpetual help, with great confidence, I come before you today to invoke your unfailing aid. You have seen the wounds my lord and master has taken upon Himself to receive for my soul. You have seen the precious blood of your adorable Son flowing for my salvation, oh, Mother, know how much your Son, our lord Jesus Christ desires so much to save me. Behold, I cast myself at your feet and ask you to obtain the grace I stand so much in need of. O mary, my queen and mother, o most loving of all mothers, obtain from me from Jesus, the source of all good things, these grace here (mention your intention). My mother of perpetual help, you desire my salvation far more than I do: our lord has
given you to me for my mother; you have chosen to be called the mother of perpetual help. I trust not in my merit but in your powerful intercession, your goodness and mercy, and your powerful motherly love. Mother of perpetual help, for the love of your Son Jesus, our Redeemer, for the love of my soul, grant me what I humbly ask of you.
CONSECRATION OF FAMILY TO OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP
(Optional)
Most Holy Virgin Mother of Perpetual Help, I thank you with great respect and love. Most humble and precious mother, I kneel before you to consecrate to you in a special manner my home and everybody and everything in it. I take you most loving as the mother of my family. Queen of heaven, make us worthy of becoming your favours children. Hold us under your protection. Protect us from sin and sinful occasions, and teach us to love Jesus, your most holy child. I thank you, most holy Mother, for your maternal protection and the numerous graces we have received through your powerful intercession. Grant that all who live may always invoke your good name, for your name o Mother is help in life and salvation in death. O Mother of Perpetual Help, bless and my household, pour your blessings on us, bless all those who think about you. So that we may contribute to you are family, may imitate you in love, humility, chastity and resignation to the will of God, so that if we serve you worthily in this world, we may praise you and thank you forever the world to come. amen
