Includes prayers for many occasions, ancient prayers by the saints, as well as a novena
Pieta by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee. But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.” Luke 1:26–31
“And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.” Revelations 12:1–2
“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold, thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold, thy mother! And from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home.” John 19:26–27
“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaid: For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” Luke 1:46–48
The Madonna of the Lilies by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Mary is the greatest of all the saints.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God, is the greatest creature ever made by God. Adam ate the fruit of death in the Garden of Eden.
The fruit of Mary’s womb is Jesus Christ. If we eat that fruit, the Eucharist, we gain eternal life in paradise.
“He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him.” John 6:56
If you have never prayed to Mary before, you should learn how to pray the Rosary.
Mary gave us the Rosary so that, by meditating on its mysteries, we can grow closer to her son.
Mary is the magnifying glass by which you can see more clearly the beauty of Jesus.
Meditating on the Seven Sorrows of Mary, her pain as she watched her son die on the Cross, is also a great way to understand the sacrifice of Jesus. For this article, I will offer a novena and prayers to Mary for her intercession in your life. So, scroll down and find one you like.
Remember, most loving Virgin Mary, never was it heard that anyone who turned to you for help was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, though burdened by my sins, I run to you for protection for you are my mother.
Praying to Saints
If you have never prayed to a saint before, don’t mistake the act of praying to a saint as worshiping a saint. Worship, Catholics believe, is reserved for God alone.
See this type of prayer almost as a conversation, a talk with a friend. Since the saints are in Heaven, these are your friends in Heaven who, since they fully know the love of God, want us to join them in God’s love.
We ask the saints to “pray for us” the same way we would ask a friend to pray for us. But the prayers of the saints are more powerful than the prayers of our friends because they are so close to the throne of God. If we pray to them, they will plea to God on our behalf.
Prayers to Mary
Novena:
A novena is a nine-day prayer where you ask for something; while growing closer to a saint, and while growing your dedication to prayer.
You can either ask for help in overcoming a certain sin or request a special favor.
To do a novena to Mary, pray the next three prayers every day, possibly in the morning or before bed, for nine straight days.
Prayer for intercession:
Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
“O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially . . . Now mention your request . . .
We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever.”
Amen.
Say 3 Hail Marys:
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Say the Memorare (remember):
Memorare (St. Bernard of Clairvaux)
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of thy Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen.
Morning Consecration to Mary
“My Queen, My Mother, I offer myself entirely to thee. And to show my devotion to thee, I offer thee this day, my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Wherefore, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me, guard me as thy property and possession.”
Consecration to Mary
“O Mary, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart.
We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country.
We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee, and may share in the benefits of thy motherly benediction. And that this act of consecration may be truly efficacious and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion.
We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths of our holy Faith, and to live as befits Catholics who are duly submissive to all the directions of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him.
We pledge ourselves to keep the commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
We likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an integral part of our lives, in so far as we shall be able so to do.
Finally, we promise thee, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of men, to devote ourselves whole-heartedly to the service of thy blessed cult, in order to hasten and assure, through the sovereignty of thine Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of thine adorable Son, in our own hearts and in those of all men, in our country and in all the world, as in heaven. so on earth.”
The Angelus
V — The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. R — And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary… (Say The Hail Mary here.)
V — Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R — Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary…
V — And the Word was made Flesh. R — And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary…
V — Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. R — That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
More Prayers
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 toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.”
Prayer to Our Lady, Holy Protection of the Theotokos
“O Mary, Mother of God, as you are above all creatures in heaven and on earth, more glorious than the Cherubim, more noble than any here below, Christ has given you to His people, firm bulwark and protectress, to shield and save sinners who fly to you. Therefore, O Lady, all-embracing refuge, we solemnly recall your sweet protection and beg the Christ forever for His mercy.”
By an Unknown Saint
“O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God, full of grace, the one whom you brought forth, Emmanuel, is the fruit of your womb. In your motherhood you have nurtured all human beings. You surpass all praise and all glory. I salute you, Mother of God, joy of the angels, because you surpass in fullness what the prophets have said about you. The Lord is with you: you gave life to the Savior of the world.”
Regina Ceili Laetare
“Queen of Heaven, rejoice, Alleluia. The Son whom you merited to bear, Alleluia. Has risen as He said, Alleluia. Pray for us to God, Alleluia. Rejoice and be glad O Virgin Mary, Alleluia! For the Lord is truly risen, Alleluia.
(Let us pray)
O God, who, through the Resurrection of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, Didst vouchsafe to fill the world with joy; grant, we beseech Thee, that, through His Virgin Mother, Mary, We may lay hold on the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord.”
The Magnificat (Mary’s own canticle from Luke 1:46–55)
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”
By St. Cyril of Alexandria (AD 382–444)
“We honor you, O Mary, Mother of God, treasure of the universe, inextinguishable flame, crown of virginity, scepter of the true faith, indestructible temple, tabernacle of the one whom the world cannot contain, and mother and virgin. … In your virginal womb you enclosed the immense and incomprehensible One. Through you the Trinity is glorified and the cross is celebrated and adored everywhere on earth. Through you the heavens exult with joy, the angels and archangels are glad, demons are put to flight, the demon tempter is cast out of heaven, and our fallen nature has again been assumed into heaven. … It is through you that the only-begotten Son of God, who is the Light, shone amid the nations who were seated in darkness and the shadow of death. What human voice can ever worthily celebrate the ineffable greatness of Mary? She is mother and virgin at the same time. Through her peace has been restored to the world. What peace? Our Lord Jesus Christ, whom Mary has brought forth!”
Sub Tuum Praesidum (Beneath Thy Protection)
“We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.’
By St. Gregory the Wonderworker (270 AD)
“Mary, you are the vessel and tabernacle containing all Mysteries. You know what the patriarchs did not know; you experienced what was not revealed to the Angels; you heard what the prophets did not hear. In short, everything that was hidden from preceding generations was made known to you; even more, most of these wonders depended on you.”
Loving Mother of the Redeemer (by the monk Hermann Lame of the 11th century)
“Loving Mother of the Redeemer, Gate of heaven, star of the sea, Assist your people of have fallen yet strive to rise again. To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator, yet remained a virgin after as before. You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting, have pity on us poor sinners.”
Miraculous Medal Prayer (St. Catherine Laboure)
“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and for those who do not have recourse to thee, especially the enemies of the Church and those recommended to thee.”
By St. Anthony of Padua
“Mary, our Queen, Holy Mother of God, we beg you to hear our prayer. Make our hearts overflow with divine grace and resplendent with heavenly wisdom. Render them strong with your might and rich in virtue. Pour down upon us the gift of mercy so that we may obtain the pardon of our sins. Help us to live in such a way as to merit the glory and bliss of heaven. May this be granted us by your Son Jesus who has exalted you above the angels, has crowned you as Queen, and has seated you with Him forever on his refulgent throne.”
The Depths of the Love of Your Heart (St. Therese of Lisieux)
“Virgin full of grace, I know that at Nazareth you lived modestly, without requesting anything more. Neither ecstasies, nor miracles, nor other extra ordinary deeds enhanced your life, O Queen of the elect. The number of the lowly, “the little ones,” is very great on earth. They can raise their eyes to your without any fear. You are the incomparable Mother who walks with them along the common way to guide them to heaven. Beloved Mother, in this harsh exile, I want to live always with you and follow you every day. I am enraptured by the contemplation of you and I discover the depths of the love of your heart. All my fears vanish under your motherly gaze, which teaches me to weep and to rejoice!”
By St. Anselm
“Mother of Salvation, Blessed Lady, you are the Mother of Justification and those who are justified; the Mother of Reconciliation and those who are reconciled; the Mother of Salvation and those who are saved. What a blessed trust, and what a secure refuge! The Mother of God is our Mother. The Mother of the One in whom alone we hope and whom alone we fear is our Mother! … The One who partook of our nature, and by restoring us to life made us children of His Mother, invites us by this to proclaim that we are His brothers and sisters. Therefore, our Judge is also our Brother. The Savior of the world is our Brother. Our God has become — through Mary — our Brother!”
By Fulton J. Sheen
“O Mary, we have exiled your Divine Son from our lives, our councils, our education, and our families! Come with the light of the sun as the symbol of His Power! Heal our wars, our dark unrest; cool the cannon’s lips so hot with war! Take our minds off the atom and our souls out of the muck of nature! Give us rebirth in your Divine Son, us, the poor children of the earth grown old with age!”
By James of Saroug (AD 521)
“Blessed are you, O Mary, and blessed is your holy soul, for your beatitude surpasses that of all the Blessed. Blessed are you who have borne, embraced, and caressed as a baby the One who upholds the ages with his secret word. Blessed are you, from whom the Savior appeared on this exile earth, subjugating the seducer and bringing peace to the world. Blessed are you, whose pure mouth touched the lips of the One whom the Seraphim do not dare to look upon in His splendor. Blessed are you, who have nourished with your pure milk the source from Whom the living obtain life and light. Blessed are you, because the whole universe resounds with your memory, and the angels and human beings celebrate your feast…. Daughter of the poor, you became the mother of the King of kings. You gave to the poor world the riches that can make it live. You are the bark laden with the goodness and the treasures of the Father, who sent his riches once again into our empty home.”
A Father of the Council of Ephesus (431 AD)
“Hail, Mary, Mother of God, venerable treasure of the whole world. You are the lamp that is never extinguished, the crown of virginity, the rule of orthodoxy, the incorruptible temple containing the one whom nothing can contain, the mother and virgin, through whom the one who comes in the Name of the Lord receives in the Gospel the name of “Blessed.” We salute you, who have borne the immensity of God in your virginal womb. Through you, the Trinity is sanctified. Through you, the Cross is venerated in the whole world. Through you, heaven is filled with joy. Through you, the angels and archangels rejoice. Through you, demons are sent flying. Through you, the tempter devil is cast out of heaven. Through you, the fallen creature is elevated to heaven. Through you, the whole universe, possessed by idolatry, has attained the knowledge of the truth. Through you, holy baptism comes to those who believe. Through you, the oil of gladness reaches us. Through you, churches are established in the whole world. Through you, peoples are led to conversion. Through you, even more, the only-begotten Son of God has radiated like light upon those who sat in darkness and the shadow of death. Through you, the prophets have announced their message, and the Apostles have proclaimed salvation to the nations. Through you, the dead rise, and kings exercise their royalty, by the power of the Holy Trinity.”
By St. Athanasius
“It is becoming for you, O Mary, to be mindful of us, as you stand near Him who bestowed upon you all graces, for you are the Mother of God and our Queen. Come to our aid for the sake of the King, the Lord God and Master Who was born of you. For this reason you are called “full of grace.” Be mindful of us, most holy Virgin, and bestow on us gifts from the riches of your graces, O Virgin, full of grace.”
By St. Ambrose
“O, that the soul of Mary were in us to glorify the Lord! That the spirit of Mary were in us to rejoice in God. May the life of Blessed Mary be ever present to our awareness. In her, as in a mirror, the form of virtue and beauty of chastity shine forth. She was virgin, not only in body, but in mind and spirit. She never sullied the pure affection of her heart by unworthy feelings. She was humble of heart. She was serious in her conversations. She was prudent in her counsels. She preferred to pray rather than to speak. She united in her heart the prayers of the poor And avoided the uncertainty of worldly riches. She was ever faithful to her daily duties, Reserved in her conversations, and always accustomed to recognize God as the witness of her thoughts. Blessed be the name of Jesus.”