Novena for Life, day six

V: O God come to my assistance

R: O Lord make haste to help me

V: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

R: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

Hymn 

Be still for the presence of the Lord

The holy one is here

Come bow before him now

With reverence and fear

In him no sin is found

We stand on holy ground

Be still for the presence of the Lord

The holy one is here

Be still for the glory of the Lord

Is shining all around

He burns with holy fire

With splendour he is crowned

How awesome is the sight

Our radiant king of light

Be still for the glory of the Lord

Is shining all around

Be still for the power of the Lord

Is moving in this place

He comes to cleanse and heal

To minister his grace

No work to hard for him

In faith receive from him

Be still for the power of the Lord

Is moving in this place

Psalm 139

Antiphon: You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.

O Lord, you search me and you know me,

You know my resting and my rising, 

You discern my purpose from afar.

You mark when I walk or lie down,

All my ways lie open to you.

If I take the wings of the dawn

And dwell at the sea’s furthest end, 

Even there your hand would lead me,

Your right hand would hold me fast.

For it was you who created my being, 

Knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I thank you for the wonder of my being,

For the wonders of all your creation.

Already you knew my soul,

My body held no secret from you

when I was being fashioned in secret

And moulded in the depths of the earth.

To me, how mysterious your thoughts,

The sum of them not to be numbered!

If I count them, they are more than the sand:

To finish, I must be eternal, like you.

O search me, God, and know my heart.

O test me and know my thoughts

See that I follow not the wrong path

And lead me in the path of life eternal.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

And to the Holy Spirit

As it was in the beginning is now

And will be forever.  Amen.

Antiphon: You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.

Reading

A reading from the Gospel according to Luke (1: 39-45)

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

The word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Intercessions

V: We pray for the Church throughout the world, that she may continue to proclaim the Gospel of Life with faith, compassion and joy. Lord in your mercy. R: Hear our prayer.

V: We pray for all those facing crisis pregnancies, that Christ may be with them, give them hope for the future and courage to choose life. Lord in your mercy. R: Hear our prayer.

V: We pray for all women who have had abortions, that they may turn back to the Lord and experience his loving forgiveness and healing. Lord in your mercy. R: Hear our prayer.

V: We pray for the disabled and those with special needs. May they always be treated with equality and given the chance to live a full and abundant life. Lord in your mercy. R: Hear our prayer.

V: We pray for the elderly, the terminally ill and those who care for them. May Christ be their companion and grant them strength and comfort. Lord in your mercy. R: Hear our prayer.

V: We pray for politicians, that they will always act with justice and respect for life in all its forms. May they always protect the most vulnerable. Lord in your mercy. R: Hear our prayer.

V: We pray for those involved in the 40 Days for Life, that through prayer, fasting and the grace of God abortion, euthanasia and all threats to life will be stopped. Lord in your mercy. R: Hear our prayer.

For these and for all pro-life intentions we ask the prayers of Mary, our mother, as we pray together;

Remember O most gracious Virgin Mary that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence we fly to you O Virgin of virgins, our mother. To you do we come, before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O mother of the Word incarnate despise not our petitions but in your mercy hear and answer them. Amen.

Litany of Our Lady of Good Counsel

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father, pray for us.

August Mother of God the Son, pray for us.

Blessed Spouse of God the Holy Spirit, pray for us.

Living temple of the Holy Trinity, pray for us.

Queen of Heaven and earth, pray for us.

Seat of Divine wisdom, pray for us.

Depositary of the secrets of the Most High, pray for us.

Virgin most prudent, pray for us.

In our doubts and difficulties, pray for us.

In our tribulations and anguish, pray for us.

In our discouragements, pray for us.

In perils and temptations, pray for us.

In all our undertakings, pray for us.

In all our needs, pray for us.

At the hour of death, pray for us.

By your Immaculate Conception, pray for us.

By your happy nativity, pray for us.

By your admirable presentation, pray for us.

By your glorious Annunciation, pray for us.

By your charitable Visitation, pray for us.

By your Divine Maternity, pray for us.

By your holy Purification, pray for us.

By the sorrows and anguish of your maternal heart, pray for us.

By your precious death, pray for us.

By your triumphant Assumption, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

And obtain for us the gift of good counsel.

Let Us Pray;

Lord Jesus, Author and Dispenser of all good,

Who in becoming incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin

hast communicated to her lights

above those of all the heavenly intelligences,

grant that in honoring her

under the title of Our Lady of Good Counsel,

we may merit always to receive from her goodness

counsels of wisdom and salvation,

which will conduct us

to the port of a blessed eternity.

Amen.

O Mary bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life. Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life. Amen.

V: May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.

R: Amen