A Most Powerful Novena to Our Lady of Good Success
composed by Reverend Father José M. Urrate, S. J.
with Ecclesiastical Approval from Archbishop Carlos Maria, of Quito, Ecuador: July 31, 1941
(Permission is granted to re-print.)
DAY 9
Act of Contrition
I believe in Thee, my God; strengthen, O Lord, my faith!
I hope in Thee, my God; affirm, O Lord, my hope!
I love Thee, my God; ignite, O Lord, my love!
I repent of having offended Thee, O my God! increase, O Lord, my repentance!
and I promise, with the help of Thy Grace,
and the powerful Patronage of our Most Holy Mother, Mary of Good Success,
to never sin again.
Lord, have pity and mercy on me! Amen.
Supplication
O Most Excellent and Immaculate Queen of Heaven, Most Holy Mary of Good Success. Chosen daughter of the Eternal Father, most loving Mother of the Divine Son, beloved Spouse of the Holy Spirit, exalted throne of the Divine Majesty, Majestic Temple of the Most Holy Trinity, in whom the Three Divine Persons have poured out the Treasures of their power, wisdom, and love!
Remember, Virgin Mary of Good Success, that God has made Thee so great so that Thou canst help poor sinners. Remember that Thou hast promised us many times to show Thyself the Merciful Mother of those who have recourse to Thee. I seek my refuge in Thee, Mother Most Merciful, and I beg Thee, for the love that the Most High God had for Thee, to obtain for me from God the Father a faith so lively, so as to never lose sight of the eternal truths of the Son; a hope so firm, so as to always hope to enjoy that heavenly bliss that He purchased for me with His Blood; and from the Holy Ghost, a charity so inflamed, so as to make me live always loving the Highest Good and Thee, Virgin Most Holy, until, through Thy intercession, I will be able to go to love and possess Him eternally in Heaven. Amen.
The Angelic Salutations
R: WE SALUTE THEE, MARY
V: As the favoured Daughter of God the Father.
Hail Mary, etc.
R: WE SALUTE THEE, MARY
V: As the chosen Mother of God the Son.
Hail Mary, etc.
R: WE SALUTE THEE, MARY
V: As the singular Spouse of the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, etc.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, etc.
MEDITATION
Consider how the timid religious, upon hearing the command of Most Holy Mary, that a statue be commissioned to be made of the size and countenance of the apparition, she excused herself, saying that it would be impossible for any sculptor to reproduce such rare beauty nor be able to decide with precision the height and other proportions of the work. And the beautiful vision, with a lovable indulgence, answered: “Do not worry about it; take the rope around your waist and measure the height.” And since through natural cowardice the Religious did not dare to touch Mary with her hands, Our Lady took one end of the rope and held it at the height of Her head, while the happy nun (holding the other end of the rope) determined the exact measurement at the feet of the marvelous vision. “There you have the height of the statue that you will send to be made;” She told her, “and the rest of the proportions will result from this one.”
Locate this statue in the indicated place with a staff and the keys of the Monastery in my right hand, because I want to be its Advocate and Protectress.” That said, the vision disappeared.
Enter now into the heart of the Religious who has just received such a distinguished favour and such a pleasant mission from Mary Most Holy. How she would remain most grateful, acknowledged and full of affection for the Virgin Mary! What prayerful remembrances, what firm purposes, what warm longings!... Ah! Search, my soul, in your heart for such feelings, and obtain to bring them forward in gratitude for the Advocate and Protectress of this Monastery, and to venerate Her statue with a most tender thankfulness and strong desires to correspond with such singular benefits to live a life that is holy, obedient, and observant of the minutest details of your Rules.
Well, the good Religious favoured by the vision hurried to commission the making of the statue with the most able sculptor, and there is the beautiful statue in perpetual remembrance, full of sweetness and majesty, which will be venerated in the high choir of this Monastery; an inheritance to which the Religious always go with their most serious problems. She will be the refuge of the people in their needs, and by Her intercession noteworthy marvels will be obtained and special graces for the Community.
The way is also shown by Mary through Her humility, Her obedience, and Her love of God and mankind: imitate Her, and you will also sculpt an image of Her in your heart. Hurry like that Religious to work through your Virgin Mother, a moral image of your habits, your affections, your bearing, your treatment, in your fidelity to the Rule and to your prayer, in your meekness and in your humility, in your purity, in your detachment of earthly goods, aspiring only to heavenly goods.
PRAYER
O God! Father who watches over Thy creatures in all ways, Thou shows us that Providence of paternal and loving governance for us, principally giving to us Mary Most Holy as Advocate, Protectress, and exemplary model of virtue. Infuse into our hearts a constant longing to imitate our Mother and Queen, measuring our thoughts, desires, and actions by Mary Most Holy, so as to resemble Her in as much as our natural fragility permits and help us by Thy Divine Grace to triumph over our passions and to reach the high worthiness of our Mother in favour of her children who, with tender gratitude, implore Her with their pressing necessities; so that, in having Her always as our Advocate, we will also find Her favourable to us in the final critical moment of life, and achieve Her companionship in Heaven. Amen.
ACT OF THANKSGIVING
TO THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN
O Virgin blessed among all women! We lack voices to thank Thee for the countless benefits that we receive from Thy hand. The day that Thou were born into the world can be called a day of grace, of health, and of consolation. Thou art the honour of humanity, the joy of Paradise, the beloved gift of God, and the health of our people. O Most Holy Virgin of Good Success, what merits can we claim that make Thee to be known as our Mother? May God be infinitely blessed who wanted it so! May Thou be equally blessed, Virgin Mary since, despite our ingratitude, Thou show Thyself so propitiously in our favour! Therefore, most clement Mother, have Thy image be our consolation on earth, being our refuge, our help and protection, both in our public and private needs. Keep from us wars, plagues, illness, hunger, lightning, earthquakes and all scourges that we merit due to our faults. Pray for Holy Church and for Her visible Head. Hear the supplications of those who invocate Thee, remember that Thou art our Advocate, our Mother; because as such we put in Thee our confidence. We resort to Thee, and hope that Thou will obtain from Thy Son the pardon of our faults and perseverance in a life of grace until death. Amen.
Now, raising your heart to the Heart of God, ask for what you want to obtain through the intercession of Most Holy Mary of Good Success.
JOYS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Virgin Mother Mary, Who by Thy superiority has always captivated the whole earth.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
Singular, without equal, Thou gave pleasure to the Word of the Father, Who does great things to have Thee honoured.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
Thou art the most worthy temple of the Most Holy Trinity in Whom Thou art enraptured.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
In Thee is found the same purity the Angels enjoy; Thou art a mercy for the sorrowing.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
The Christian world cries out to Thee as Queen; the King of kings keeps Thee at His Right Hand.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
O Mother of Grace! O our Hope! Port for the shipwrecked and Star of the Sea.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
Gate of Heaven, Health of the sick, Light in the darkness.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
Through Thee we will attain to see God in that Heavenly Court of the Saints, where He lives and reigns.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
Guide our steps and tenderly assist us, O sweet Mary! in the final hour.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
Permit praise from an affectionate tongue which is unable to express Thy rare magnificence.
Response: Protect us, O Pious! because Thou art our Mother.
Antiphon
Holy Mary, save the wretched, help the weak, strengthen the afflicted, plead for the people, intercede for the clergy, petition for the faithful. Our Lady, oblige all those who celebrate Thy most holy memory with Thy favour and protection.
V: Plead for us, O Virgin of Good Success!
R: That we may be made worthy to obtain the promises of Christ.
FINAL PRAYER
We beg Thee, Our Lord and God, to grant us health of soul and body through the intercession of the glorious Virgin Mary; by whose merits and by those of Her sovereign Son Jesus, we hope to be freed from present evils, and obtain eternal blessings. Amen.
PRAYER of a Holy Religious to
MOST HOLY MARY OF GOOD SUCCESS
for All Devotees
Most Holy Virgin, loving Mother and Protectress of all mankind, universal remedy of all evil, and vigilant overseer of our souls: I venerate Thy holy statue which represents and recalls the special favours of Thy care for pilgrims, and Thy kind inheritance for the good of this Community. Confident in Thy singular protection, I come before Thy feet to open my heart, repentant of my offenses against God and Thee, asking Thee to obtain for me the pardon of my faults and imperfections. Our Prelate and Advocate, I thank Thee again for all the benefits in our favour, for Thy miraculous apparition, and for the sign of predilection that Thou has given us in this Thy holy statue. Hear my cries, my Mother, and be the doctor of all illnesses, with Thy goodness and mercy, Thou will not fail for medicine, overcoming my faults which are so numerous. May our unhappy state never cause Thee to stop being our Protectress; but rather, overlook them due to the fragility of our nature; hear our cries with tender compassion, assist us, succor us in our conflicts, disrupt the sinister plans of our enemies, give us courage and resignation in tribulations and much confidence in the power of God. Renew the fervour in all the Religious so that they be faithfully observant of the obedience to their Superiors and the Rule. And give us a constant longing to serve Thee and love Thee as our Prelate, with Whom we will live and work united in a common cause, being thankful of the many benefits received, such as having Thee here as a perpetual remembrance of Thy Apparition; so that serving us as a stimulus and supernatural influence, we may also eternally possess Thee in Heaven. Amen.
