Novena

in honor of
Our Lady’s
Immaculate
Conception
 Introduction
This novena is offered by the Franciscan Discipleship
Commission of St. Bonaventure Province to help prepare for
the celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate
Conception. The booklet is formatted so it can be used year
after year. These prayers may be prayed together at table or
added to any hour of common prayer. The novena takes
place on the nine days before December 8. These prayers
are also intended as preparation for the Act of Consecration
of the Order to Our Lady (page 9), which is renewed every
December 8. On December 8, the novena prayers are not
repeated. The prayers for that day begin on page 9.

The “golden thread” of the Franciscan order is our constant

love and devotion to our Blessed Lady—an unbroken thread
extending from St. Francis to the present. Our promotion
and defense of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception,
throughout the centuries, reached fruition in 1854, when
Blessed Pope Pius IX, a Secular Franciscan, proclaimed this
belief to be a dogma of the Church. To this day, the friars in
Rome, at the Basilica of Santi Apostoli, conduct the Solemn
Novena of the Immaculate Conception before Our Lady’s
feast on December 8.

We are part of this “golden thread.” May this celebration of

“our” feast, worthily express our love and devotion as we
honor our Heavenly Mother. May every heart be guided by
Our Blessed Lady’s gentle hand to her Son, who in his great
love, gave us his sinless Mother, as our own.
 Novena in Honor of
Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception

The following are read only on

the first day of the novena, November 29th.

Example of St. Francis

Leader: Francis embraced the Mother of Jesus with
inexpressible love, since she made the Lord of
Majesty a brother to us. He honored her, poured
out prayers to her, and offered her his love in a
way that no human tongue can express. But
what gives us greatest joy is that he entrusted
the Order to her, placing under her mantle the
sons and daughters to be left behind, that she
might protect and cherish them to the end.
Adapted from: “The Remembrance of the Desire
of a Soul by Thomas of Celano”, Chapter CL, #198

Exhortation

Leader: All the friars should fervently venerate the

Blessed Virgin Mary in the mystery of the
Immaculate Conception as the special
protectress of the Order and as our Queen. All
the friars shall celebrate that feast everywhere
with as much solemnity as possible, on this
occasion renewing the consecration of the Order
to her; and they should encourage and spread
devotion to the mystery of the Immaculate
Conception as much as they can.
Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (77.2)

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Daily Novena

Leader: Holy Virgin Mary,

All: among the women born into the world,
there is no one like you.
Daughter and servant
of the most high and supreme King
and of the Father in heaven,
Mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ,
Spouse of the Holy Spirit,
pray for us
with Saint Michael the Archangel,
all the powers of heaven, and all the saints,
at the side of your most holy beloved Son,
our Lord and Teacher.
St. Francis: Antiphon from the
Office of the Passion

Leader: You are all fair, O Mary.

All: No touch of original sin is in you.
Leader: Your raiment is bright as snow.
All: Your countenance is as the sun.
Leader: You are the exultation of Jerusalem.
All: You are the joy of Israel.
Leader: You are the glory of our people.
All: You are the defense of sinners.
Leader: You are the wisest of virgins.
All: You are the kindest of mothers.
Leader: O Mary, blessed are you above all women upon
the earth.
All: You were free from sin from the moment of
your conception.
Leader: Pray for us.
All: Intercede for us with your Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Leader: We pray with Francis and the friars after him,
forming with them an unbroken “golden
thread” of filial devotion for Mary, our Mother
and our Queen:
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 Please turn to the daily prayer:

Day 1, Nov. 29 ............... Page 4 Day 6, Dec. 4.................. Page 6

Day 2, Nov. 30 ............... Page 4 Day 7, Dec. 5.................. Page 7
Day 3, Dec. 1.................. Page 5 Day 8, Dec. 6.................. Page 7
Day 4, Dec. 2.................. Page 6 Day 9, Dec. 7.................. Page 8
Day 5, Dec. 3.................. Page 6

Concluding Prayer

Leader: Accept, O Lord, the prayers we offer in

preparation for the solemn feast of the
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Grant that as we proclaim her to have
been preserved by your grace from all stain of
sin, so through her intercession may we be freed
from all our sins. Grant this through her Son,
Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
All: Amen.

Leader: O Mary, conceived without sin,

All: Pray for us who have recourse to you.

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Day 1 – November 29
Prayers of St. Francis
Leader: Hail, O Lady,
All: Holy Queen,
Mary, holy Mother of God,
who are the Virgin made Church,
chosen by the most Holy Father in heaven
consecrated by Him
with His most holy beloved Son
and with the Holy Spirit the Paraclete,
on you descended and in you still remains
all fullness of grace and every good.

Hail His Palace!

Hail His Tabernacle!
Hail His Dwelling!
Hail His Robe!
Hail His Servant!
Hail His Mother! Salutation of Our Lady

Hail Advocate of the Poor!

Fulfill toward us your duty as protectress
until the time set by the Father! Amen.
The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul
by Thomas of Celano, Chapter CL, #198

Continue with the Concluding Prayer on Page 3.

Day 2 – November 30
Prayer of St. Anthony of Lisbon and Padua

Leader: Our Lady,

All: we ask you for that singular hope
that our souls be illumined by the brilliance
of your grace,
cleansed by the brightness of your purity,
and warmed by the comfort of your visitation.
With your help,
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 may we be reconciled with your Son,
and so come to share in His glory;
He whom the angel announced to you,
who assumed your glorious flesh,
and who wished to live in you for nine months.
To Him be honor and glory forever. Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer on Page 3.

Day 3 – December 1
Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Leader: O blessed Lady,

All: Our Lord has become our brother
and our Savior, by means of you.
The Holy Spirit has made you fruitful;
the power of the Most High
has overshadowed you.
By the excellence of your sanctity,
you surpass all angels and archangels.
Blessed be your most pure conception.
Blessed be the virginal bringing forth.
Blessed be the purity of your body.
Blessed be the sweetness of the
mercy of your heart.
Blessed are they, O Virgin Mary,
who love your name;
your grace will comfort their souls.
They will be refreshed
as by fountains of water.
You will produce in them the fruit of justice.
God has blessed the works of your hands.
Your mercy and your grace
are preached everywhere. Amen.
Office of the Blessed Virgin

Continue with the Concluding Prayer on Page 3.

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Day 4 – December 2
Petition of Blessed John Duns Scotus
Leader: O Immaculate Virgin and Mother,
with our brother, John Duns Scotus,
we turn to you in humble petition:
All: “Permit us to praise you, O Most Holy Virgin,
and give us strength against your enemies.”
Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer on Page 3.

Day 5 – December 3
Prayer of St. Joseph of Cupertino
Leader: Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of the Lord,
All: rose without thorn, lily of love,
refuge of sinners, have pity on us.
Gain for us the grace of final perseverance.
Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer on Page 3.

Day 6 – December 4
Prayer of St. Francis Anthony Fasani

Leader: O Immaculate Conception:

All: Among all creatures pure,
you, Mary, are the perfect one;
you alone are the blessed one
from among all women.
You are the lily among the thorns,
you are the Rose of Jericho;

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 you are the Mother, Daughter and Spouse
of the God who created you.
O Immaculate Conception! Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer on Page 3.

Day 7 – December 5
Prayer of St. Francis Anthony Fasani
Leader: O Immaculate Conception:
All: You are Mother of the Lord,
but preserved in your virginity;
you stand alone and you have no equal;
you are distinct and pre-elected.
You are elect, like the sun;
you are beautiful, like the moon;
you are a light never failing,
never wanting, never weakening.
O Immaculate Conception! Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer on Page 3.

Day 8 – December 6
Prayer of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe

Leader: Who are you, O Immaculate Conception?

All: You are uniquely privileged
among all the children of Eve.
You are not just a creature of God,
not only an adopted child,
but the very Mother of God.
You alone are the Immaculate Conception!
Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer on Page 3.

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Day 9 – December 7
Prayer of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe

Leader: O Immaculate Mother,

All: when will you become Queen of every soul?
When will all the souls in the entire world
know the goodness and love
of your heart toward them?
When will every soul show you its gratitude
with ardent love,
so that you may form them according to the
pattern of the Sacred Heart of your Son?
May we, your children, be dedicated to this
cause
until our last breath.
Help us, Our Queen, Our Lady,
Our dearest Mother. Amen.

Continue with the Concluding Prayer on Page 3.

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December 8 – Solemnity of the
Immaculate Conception
Leader: All the friars should fervently venerate the
Blessed Virgin Mary in the mystery of the
Immaculate Conception as the special
protectress of the Order and as our Queen. All
the friars shall celebrate that feast everywhere
with as much solemnity as possible, on this
occasion renewing the consecration of the Order
to her; and they should encourage and spread
devotion to the mystery of the Immaculate
Conception as much as they can.
Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (77.2)

Act of Consecration of the Order to Mary

Please kneel
Leader: Immaculate Virgin,
Queen of the entire Seraphic Order,
look down upon us.
All: We kneel before your throne of love and mercy.
We consecrate our beloved Order to your
Immaculate Heart.
Leader: We publicly profess:
All: That we truly wish to follow the example of
our seraphic father Francis.
We consecrate ourselves to you wholly and
without reserve.
Leader: Immaculate Heart of our Mother and Queen,
we lovingly place in your hands,
our heart, our body, and our soul.
We profess solemnly and with childlike love:
All: That you are our Lady and our Queen.
To you we belong all together.
To you we give ourselves with all that we are
and all that we have,

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 our spiritual blessings and our temporal goods.
We entrust ourselves entirely to your care.
This we do for the greater honor of God,
for the prosperity of holy Mother Church,
and for the welfare of our Holy Father, N…
Leader: We consign and consecrate to you:
All: Our words and actions, our prayers and
sufferings,
our acts of penance and of love,
our apostolic works and trials,
the smallest duties of our state of life.
Leader: May all of it be directed and guided by you,
so that throughout the world
there may be renewed and strengthened,
the kingdom of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:
All: the kingdom of truth and life,
the kingdom of holiness and grace,
the kingdom of justice, charity, and peace.
Leader: We consecrate to you:
All: Our ministers, guardians, and directors,
the novices and candidates,
and all our brothers and sisters
in the entire Franciscan family,
so that they may be strengthened by
God’s grace,
to remain full of zeal and true to their vocation
until death.
Leader: Immaculate Heart of Mary:
All: Make holy and perfect all the members of our
Order.
Leader: Immaculate Heart, full of burning love:
All: Fill our hearts with the glow of seraphic love.
Leader: Obedient Heart of Mary:
All: Help us faithfully keep
the commandments of God,
and the precepts of our holy Rule. Amen.
2 n d Printing • November, 2002
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