PREPARATORY PRAYER FOR DAYS 1-9 of this NOVENA with AUDIO BY MEMBER OF CHILDREN’S ROSARY, AMELIA in the PODCAST ABOVE.1
MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.
MY QUEEN, my Mother, remember I am thine own. Keep me, guard me, as thy property and possession!
Indulgence.
DAY 4: MEDITATION
WELL versed as Mary was in Holy Scripture, she fully understood the words she had heard and knew their great importance.
She was destined to become the Mother of the Most High (the Son of God). But there is an obstacle which prevents her from giving immediate assent.
She has solemnly vowed her virginity to God. Not knowing how the mystery announced to her was to be accomplished, and intent above all on keeping inviolate her vow, she interrupts her silence by the short but comprehensive question,
"How shall this be done, because I know not man?" (Luke i. 34.)
This is the first word of Mary recorded in the Gospel.
PRACTICE
"HOW shall this be done, because I know not man?"
Truly a momentous question, proceeding from her knowledge of the great excellence and value before God of virginity, which, before Mary, was unknown to the world.
Let us follow Mary's example and esteem holy purity and chastity above all things. Let us remember how highly Holy Scripture extols this virtue.
"O how beautiful is the chaste generation with glory; for the memory thereof is immortal, because it is known both with God and with men" (Wis. iv. 1).
St. Athanasius writes:
"O chastity, thou precious pearl, found by few, even hated by some, and sought only by those who are worthy of thee! Thou art the joy of the prophets, the ornament of the apostles, the life of the angels, the crown of the saints."
Let us therefore carefully guard this inestimable treasure.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH: THE ANGELUS
LEADER: The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
ALL: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art 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. Amen.
LEADER: Behold the handmaid of the Lord:
R. Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
ALL: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art 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. Amen.
LEADER: And the Word was made Flesh:
R. And dwelt among us. (Bow / Curtsey)
ALL: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art 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. Amen.
LEADER: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
ALL: POUR forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we unto whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may, by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Now, pray the Litany of Loreto: https://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/litanie-lauretane_en.html
See our video here with Fr. Elias Mary Mills, FI, or in the Footnotes:
Prayer for Day 4
MARY, mighty Virgin, thou who on the day of thy annunciation wast found by the archangel so prompt and ready to do God's will, and to correspond with the desires of the august Trinity, who wished for thy consent in order to redeem the world; obtain for me that, whatever happens, good or ill, I may turn to my God, and with resignation say, "Be it done unto me according to thy word."
Hail Mary…
OR
IF TIME PERMITS PRAY THE DECADE ROSARY: THE FIRST JOYFUL MYSTERY
Ejaculation:
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me!
Indulgence. 50 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, March 20, 1894.)
Thank you for listening to the Rosary Hour Podcast.
LITANY OF ST. JOSEPH
https://fatima.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Litany-03-St-Joseph-1.pdf
NOTES ON DEVOTION TO OUR LADY BY CARDINAL COLLINS with NOTES ON THE ANGELUS:
On the Manner of Reading the Meditations and Observing the Practices
HOLY SCRIPTURE says,
"Before prayer prepare thy soul; and be not as a man that tempteth God" (Eccles. xviii. 23).
Therefore place yourself in the presence of God, invoke the assistance of the Holy Ghost, and make a most sincere act of contrition for your sins. Offer up to God your will, your intellect, and your memory, so that your prayer may be pleasing to God and serve to promote your spiritual welfare.
Then read the meditation slowly, reflecting on each point of the thought or mystery treated, and consider what you can learn from it, and for what grace you ought to implore God. This is the principal object to be attained by mental prayer.
Never rise from your prayer without having formed some special resolution for practical observance. The practices at the end of each consideration in the following novenas will aid you to do so.
Finally, ask for grace to carry out effectively your good purposes, and thank God for enlightening your mind during the meditation.
COMPILED BY: REV. BONAVENTURE HAMMER, O.F.M.
Visit childrensrosary.org for more information. Join this prayer group movement on RADIO MARIA USA for a HOLY HOUR with Zosia and Dr. Kaufman ON APRIL 12, 2025, 4PM EST.
40 days, every time. (Pius IX, August 5, 1851.)
FR. ELIAS TEACHES THE LITANY OF LORETO HERE
PRAY ANOTHER DECADE OF THE ROSARY WITH FR. ANTHONY GRAMLICH HERE:
Learn about St. Joseph:
CLASSIC: “THE LIFE AND GLORIES OF ST. JOSEPH”
COMING SOON: LOURDES APPARITION MEMORIAL
Thursday 25th March 1858
The vision finally revealed her name, but the wild rose bush, on which she stood during the Apparitions, did not bloom. Bernadette recounted :
“She extended her arms towards the ground, then joined them as though in prayer and said Que soy era Immaculada Concepciou (I am the Immaculate Conception)”.
The young visionary left and, running all the way, repeated continuously the words that she did not understand. These words troubled the brave Parish Priest. Bernadette was ignorant of the fact that this theological expression was assigned to the Blessed Virgin. Four years earlier, in 1854, Pope Pius IX declared this a truth of the Catholic Faith (a dogma). Review this dogma here as we approach the anniversary of this apparition:
LEARN MORE HERE: THE ROSARY HOUR PODCAST NEWSLETTER
During Lent, we invite you to listen to our continued “Conference on Suffering” with Fr. Anthony Gramlich (MIC), Fr. Elias Mary Mills (FI), and Dr. Blythe Kaufman. See the trailer here:
FOOTNOTES
Dear Listeners: Apologies for the last post which had the incorrectly recorded reflections. This post revises that error. Thank you for your understanding and for being part of this 9-day novena.
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