Novena for the Protection of the Unborn

 

The Novena for the Unborn begins today.

O Heavenly Father, Creator and Giver of all life, Author of justice, Source of love and mercy: Although it is deserving of thine anger and punishment, look with mercy on our nation, which has offended thee by condoning the killing of millions of innocent children, thy precious sons and daughters, who, like all of us, were created in thine image and likeness, but whose only offense was their very existence. Amen.

O Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer, whose inestimable gift of self-sacrificing love provided the means of Salvation for all mankind through the shedding of thine innocent blood: grant that all may come to know thee, serve thee and love thee, and thus may know the meaning of true freedom and true liberty, which never destroys, but always serves and protects life. amen.

O Holy Spirit, source of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, counsel, fortitude, piety and holy fear: inspire us with these gifts. Fill the hearts of the leaders of this nation, especially those who have the temporal power and the grave responsibility to make and interpret and execute laws, with the desire to do God’s will, to restore justice and to establish laws that govern the people of this land in conformity with the Divine Law — laws that will preserve, protect and defend the lives of all sons and daughters of God, from their earliest beginnings until death. Amen.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus, entrusted to be the mother of God’s only begotten Son, Our Savior, through thine obedient consent to God’s will, and who thus became for all people and all time the model of faith and of the self-giving love and devotion of Motherhood: take into thy motherly arms all the babies who are victims of abortion, that they may receive eternally the comfort of a mother’s love. May thine example and intercession open the hearts of all who reject God and His holy laws, comfort all those who suffer remorse because of abortion, and restore to hope in Christ those mothers and fathers who grieve and repent the killing of their children. Amen.

All Angels and Saints: may thy guidance and example show fallen humanity the way to perfect joy and freedom and peace found only in unity with God in obedience to His will through salvation in Christ Jesus; and may thy constant prayers be joined by those of all the little children — the “slaughtered innocents” — as a “cloud of witnesses” interceding for sinful man. Amen.

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. 

Novena: Day 1
Above prayers
Psalm 139
Gloria Patri (Glory be)
Rosary: Sorrowful Mysteries
Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55
Gloria Patri
Novena: Days 2-9
Our Father...
Above prayers
Three Hail Marys
Gloria Patri

Psalm 139 [RSV-CE]

Antiphonal (Responsive):
1. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me!
2. Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar.
3. Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4. Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
5. Thou dost beset me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me.
6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.
7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8. If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!
9. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10. Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11. If I say, “Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,”
12. Even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is as bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee.
13. For thou didst form my inward parts: thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14. I praise thee; for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well;
15. My frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.
16. Thine eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
17. How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18. If I would count them, they are more than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.
19. O that thou wouldst slay the wicked, O God, and that men of blood would depart from me,
20. Men who maliciously defy thee, who lift themselves up against thee for evil!
21. Do I not hate them that hate thee, O Lord? And do I not loathe them that rise up against thee?
22. I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me, and know my thoughts!
24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

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 Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55
Unison:
My soul doth magnify the Lord
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He hath regarded the low estate of
His handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth
all generations will call me blessed;
for He who is mighty hath
done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
And His mercy is on them that fear Him
throughout all generations.
He hath shown strength with His arm;
He hath scattered the proud
in the imagination of their hearts;
He hath put down the mighty
from their thrones,
and exalted the humble and meek;
He hath filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He hath sent empty away.
He hath helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
as He spake to our forefathers,
to Abraham and his seed forever.
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.