Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God:
       To Praise Him
       To thank Him
       To ask Him for Grace.

We should pray:
       To follow the example of Jesus Christ
       To obey His command
       To save our soul.

“And having dismissed the multitude, He went into a mountain alone to pray.” (Matt. 14:23)
“Watch  ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41).

We must pray:
        With devotion 
              With humility
                   With confidence
                        With resignation
                             With perseverance.

“Amen, Amen I say to you; if you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you.” (John 16:23).
 

We should especially pray:
        Every morning and evening
        Before and after meals
        On Sundays and Holydays
        In times of necessity, sickness, and temptation.

When we do not receive what we pray for, it is either:
       Because we do not ask properly; or
       Because what we ask for is not in conformity with God’s Holy Will.

The Our Father is the most excellent prayer, because Jesus Christ taught it to His Apostles and commanded them to say it (Matt. 6:9-13):

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name: Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.
 
 

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul I pray and beseech Thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope, and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment; while I contemplate with great love and tender pity Thy five wounds, pondering over them within me, and calling to mind the words which David Thy prophet said of Thee, my Jesus: "They have pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones.” (Ps. 21:17-18)
 
 

O my God and my All, in Your goodness and mercy, grant that before I die I may regain all the graces which I have lost through my carelessness and folly.
Permit me to attain that degree of merit and perfection to which you did desire to lead me, and which I failed by my unfaithfulness to reach.
Mercifully grant also that others regain the Graces which they have lost through my fault. 
This I humbly beg through the merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.

Forgive me my sins, O Lord, forgive me my sins; the sins of my youth, the sins of my age, the sins of my soul, the sins of my body; my idle sins, my serious voluntary sins, the sins I know, the sins I do not know; the sins I have concealed so long, and which are now hidden from my memory.
I am truly sorry for every sin, mortal and venial, for all the sins of my childhood up to the present hour.
I know my sins have wounded your Tender Heart, O my Savior.  Let me be freed from the bonds of evil through the most bitter passion of my Redeemer.
O my Jesus, forget and forgive what I have been. Amen.
 
 

Dear Lord,
your disciple Peter wanted to know
who would betray you.
You pointed to Judas,
     but a little later also to him.

Judas betrayed you,
Peter denied you.
Judas hanged himself,
Peter became the apostle
upon whom you built your Church

Lord, give me faith--faith in
     your endless mercy,
     your boundless forgiveness,
     your unfathomable goodness.

Let me not be tempted to think that my sins
     are too great to be forgiven,
     too abominable to be touched by your mercy.

Let me never run away from you,
but let me return to you again and again,
     asking you to be
     my Lord, my Shepherd,
     my Stronghold, and my Refuge.

Take me under your wing, O Lord,
     and let me know that you do not reject me
     as long as I keep asking you to forgive me.

Perhaps my doubt in your forgiveness
     is a greater sin
     than the sins I consider too great to be forgiven.

Perhaps I make myself too important, too great
     when I think that I cannot be
     embraced by you any more.

Lord, look at me, accept my prayer
     as you accepted Peter's prayer,
     and let me not run away from you
     in the night as Judas did.

Bless me, Lord,
     and give me the grace
     to return to you forever. Amen.
 
 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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. 
 
 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen
 
 

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?
Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh.
My enemies that trouble me, have themselves been weakened, and have fallen.
If armies in camp should stand together against me, mu heart shall not fear.
If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house
  of the Lord all the days of my life.
That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.
For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in
  the secret place of his tabernacle.
He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies.
I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, 
  and recite a psalm to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee: have mercy on me and hear me.
My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.
Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant.
  Be thou my helper, forsake me not; do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour.
For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up.
Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way, and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies.
Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself.
I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.

Save us, O Lord, while we are awake, and guard us while we sleep, that we may watch with Christ and rest in peace.
Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace.  Because mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
A light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel. (Luke 2, 29-32).
 
 

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love entrusts me here.  Ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.
 
 

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 I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.  O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions; but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen
 
 

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 towards us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Amen
 
 

PRAYERS TO THE MOTHER OF GOD  IN TIME OF GREAT NEED

                                              Prayers (Novena) in Honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

   Behold at your feet, O Mother of Perpetual Help, * a wretched sinner who has recourse to you and confides in you. * O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me. * I hear you called by all * the refuge and the hope of sinners; * be then, my refuge and my hope. * Assist me for the love of Jesus Christ; * stretch forth your hand to a miserable, fallen creature * who recommends himself to you, * and who devotes himself to your service forever.  I bless and thank Almighty God, * Who in His mercy has given me this confidence in you, * which I hold to be a pledge of my eternal salvation. * It is true, dearest Mother, * that in the past I have miserably fallen into sin * because I had not recourse to you. * I know, however, that with your help I shall conquer; * I know, too, that you will assist me * if only I recommend myself to you. * But I fear, dear Mother, * that in time of danger * I may neglect to call on you and thus lose my soul. * This grace, then, I ask of you, * and this I beg with all the fervor of my soul, * that in all the attacks of hell * I may ever have recourse to you. * O Mary, help me! * O Mother of Perpetual Help, never suffer me to lose my God.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
 

   O Mother of Perpetual Help! * grant that I may ever invoke your most powerful name, * which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying. * O Purest Mary!   O Sweetest Mary! * let your name be ever on my lips. * Delay not, O Blessed Lady! * to help me whenever I call on you: * for, in all my temptations, in all my needs, * I shall never cease to call on you, * ever repeating your Sacred Name, Mary! Mary!* Oh, what consolation, * what sweetness, * what confidence, * what emotion fills my soul * when I utter your Sacred Name, * or even only think of you * I thank the Lord for having given you, for my good, * so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name. * But I will not be content with merely pronouncing your name, * let my love for you prompt me ever to hail you, * Mother of Perpetual Help. *
 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.

Pause for a few moments in silent prayer to recommend to our Mother of Perpetual Help all our wants both spiritual and temporal.

O Mother of Perpetual Help, * you are the dispenser of all the goods * which God grants to us miserable sinners, * and for this reason He has made you so powerful, so rich, and so bountiful, * that you may help us in our misery. * You are the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners * who have recourse to you. * Come then, to my help, dearest Mother, * for I recommend myself to you. * In your hands I place my eternal salvation * and to you do I entrust my soul. * Count me among your most devoted servants; * take me under your protection, and it is enough for me. * For, if you protect me, dear Mother, * I fear nothing: * not from my sins, * because you will obtain for me the pardon of them: * nor from the devils, * because you are more powerful than all hell together; * nor even from Jesus, my Judge Himself, * because by one prayer from you * He will be appeased. * But one thing I fear, * that in the hour of temptation * I may neglect to call on you * and thus perish miserably. * Obtain for me, then, the pardon of my sins, * love for Jesus, * final perseverance, * and the grace always to have recourse to you, * O Mother of Perpetual Help.
 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.

You have been made for us, O Lady, a refuge.  A helper in need and tribulation.  Let us pray: O Lord Jesus Christ, Who has given us Your Mother, Mary, whose renowned image we venerate, to be a mother ever ready to help us, grant, we beseech You, that we who constantly implore her help may merit always to experience the fruits of Your redemption, You Who lives and reigns world without end.  Amen.

   Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin and my Mother, Mary, * to you, who are the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, * the advocate, the hope, and the refuge of sinners, * I have recourse today, * I who am the most miserable of all. * I render you my most humble homage, O great Queen, * and I thank you for all the graces * you have obtained for me until now, * and in particular for having saved me from hell which I have so often deserved. * I love you, O most amiable Lady; * and, for the love which I bear you, * I promise to serve you always, and to do all in my power to make others also love you. * I place in you all my hopes * and I confide my salvation to your care. * Accept me for your servant * and receive me under your mantle, * O Mother of Mercy. * And since you are so powerful with God, * deliver me from all temptations * or, rather, obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. * Of you I ask a perfect love for Jesus Christ; * through you I hope to die a good death. * O my Mother, * by the love which you bear to God, * I beseech you to help me at all times * but especially at the last moment of my life. * Leave me not, I beseech you, * until you see me safe in heaven, * blessing you and singing your mercies for all eternity. * Amen, so I hope; so may it be.

                                                                 Prayer in Spiritual Wants

O Mother of Perpetual Help, * with the greatest confidence, we come before your sacred Picture, * in order to invoke your aid. * You have seen the wounds which Jesus has been pleased to receive for our sake; * you have seen the Blood of Your Son flowing for our salvation; * you know how your Son desires to apply to us the fruits of His Redemption. * Behold, we cast ourselves at your fee, * and pray you to obtain for our souls the graces we stand so much in need of. * O Mary, most loving of all mothers, * obtain for us from the heart of Jesus, the source of every good * these graces * (here mention them).  O Mother of Perpetual Help, * you desire our salvation far more than we ourselves: * your Son has given you to us for our Mother; * you have yourself chosen to be called Mother of Perpetual Help. * We trust not in our merits, but in your powerful intercession; * we trust in your goodness; * we trust in your motherly love. * Mother of Perpetual Help, * for the love of our souls, * obtain for us the graces we ask from you. * Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed are 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.
 

O Mother of Perpetual Help, * numerous clients continually surround your holy Picture, * all imploring your mercy. * All bless you as the assured help of the miserable; * all feel the benefit of your motherly protection. * With confidence, then, do we present ourselves before you in our misery. * See, dear Mother, the many evils to which we are exposed; * see how numerous are our wants. * Trials and sorrows often depress us; * reverses of fortune and privations, often grievous, bring misery into our lives; * everywhere we meet the cross. * Have pity, compassionate Mother, on us and on our dear ones, * especially in this our necessity * (here mention it). Help us, dear Mother, in our distress; * deliver us from all our ills; * or, if it be the will of God that we should suffer still longer, * grant that we may endure all with love and patience. * These graces we expect of you with confidence, * because you are our Perpetual Help. * Amen.               End of novena prayers.
 

The pious practice of making a novena dates back to the time when our Blessed Lady and the Apostles remained nine days in prayer, after the ascension of Our Lord into heaven.  They did this to prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  A novena consists of saying the novena prayers once each day for nine consecutive days.
When saying these prayers in a group, pause at the *.

                                                           Additional prayers to Our Mother of Perpetual Help

                                                                       Prayer for Perseverance

O Holy Virgin Mary* who to inspire us with boundless confidence * has been pleased to take the sweet name of Perpetual Help * I implore you 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 * rather, the habit * always to have recourse to you * for I feel assured that if I invoke you with fidelity * you will be faithful to come to my assistance. * Obtain for me then this grace of graces, * the grace to pray to you * without ceasing and with childlike prayer * that I may ensure your perpetual help * and final perseverance. * O Mother of Perpetual Help * pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Amen
 

                                                                      Invocations to Our Lady:

O Mother of Perpetual Help, you whose very name inspires confidence.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may be victorious in the trying time of temptation.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may quickly rise again should I have the misfortune to fall into sin.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may break asunder any bonds of satan in which I may become entangled.
Help me, O loving Mother.

Against the seductions of the world, evil companions, and bad books.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may soon return to my former fervor should I ever become lukewarm.
Help me, O loving Mother.

In the performance of my Christian duties.
Help me, O loving Mother.

In all the trials and troubles of life.
Help me, O loving Mother.

Against my own inconstancy that I may persevere to the end.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may ever love you and serve you and invoke your assistance.
Help me, O loving Mother.

That I may be able to induce others to love, serve and pray to you.
Help me, O loving Mother.

O Mother, to my last hour, to my last breath do watch over me.
Help me, O loving Mother.

Praying to Jesus and Mary is a good way of showing your love for Them.
Explanation of photo.

 (l)  Greek Initials for "Mother of God".

(2)  Greek Initials for "St. Michael the Archangel".  He is depicted holding the lance and spear with the
       vessel of vinegar and gall of Christ's Passion.

(3)  Greek Initials for "St. Gabriel the Archangel".  He holds the cross and the nails.

(4)  Greek Initials for "Jesus Christ".

Tradition holds that the original of this painting was made by St. Luke, the evangelist.  The picture depicts Jesus thinking about the day when he would suffer The Passion.  He ran to his mother for comfort and in doing so, his sandal fell off.

Click here for an 8x10 printable size of "Our Mother of Perpetual Help"