Day One

A Novena for Life

God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, 
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Holy Mother of God, hear the prayers of the Church for all mothers, especially those wearied by life and overcome by the suffering they bear for their children.

Hail Mary...

O Mother of the Word Incarnate, intercede for them from your place in heaven, that the mercy of your divine Son might lighten their burden and give them strength.

Hail Mary...

Glory to the Father....

Luke 7:11-15
11 Soon afterward he went to a city called Na'in, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him.
12 As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, 'Do not weep.'
14 And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise.'
15 And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.

Pray for the Suffering Women of the World
Labor day usually brings to mind images of factory workers, farmers or heavy equipment operators. Yet we also use labor to describe the first work which brought each one of us to birth: those first hours of maternal sacrifice which brought us into the world. It's too easy to forget that and all the other sacrifices which the vocation of motherhood entails. Pray for the mothers in labor today. Those who give birth. Those who work two jobs to support a child. Those who go without so their child's needs are met. Those whose patient endurance is a sign of God's love upon the cross.