OUR LADY OF PROMPT SUCCOR (NOVENA)

Opening Prayer to Our Lady
Oh, Immaculate Heart! Help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths towards the future!
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us
From sins against the life of man from its very beginning, deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us, deliver us

Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies. Let there be revealed, once more, in the history of the world your infinite power of merciful Love. May it put a stop to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of Hope.
Taken from L’Osservatore Romano, Weekly Edition in English 24 May 1982

Prayer (after the daily novena prayer)
O Mary, Mother of God, who amid the tribulations of the world, watches over us and over the Church of Your Son, be to us and to the Church, truly, Our Lady of Prompt Succor; make haste to help us in all our necessities, that in this fleeting life You may be our succor, and obtain for us (here ask the particular favor you desire). Help us to gain life everlasting through the merits of Jesus, Your Son, Our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
O Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners who have recourse to thee. Amen

The Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father may be added, with the Litany of Our Lady of Prompt Succor and the prayer "O Mary, Mother of God".

DAY ONE
When we wish to obtain some special favor through the intercession of Our Blessed Lady, the first disposition to bring to prayer is the humble recognition of our unworthiness, for it is the prayer of the contrite and humble heart that rises to the very throne of God.

PRAYER
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, you are after Jesus our only hope. O Most Holy Virgin, whose merits have raised you high above angel choirs to the very throne of the Eternal and whose foot crushed the head of the infernal serpent, you are strong against the enemies of our salvation. O Mother of God, you are our Mediatrix most kind and loving. Hasten, then, to our help, and as you did once save your beloved City from ravaging flames and our Country from an alien foe, do now have pity on our misery, and obtain for us the graces we beg of you. Deliver us from the wiles of Satan, assist us in the many trials which beset our path in this valley of tears, and be to us truly Our Lady of Prompt Succor now and especially at the hour of our death. Amen.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Three times.)

DAY TWO
Filial resignation to God's Holy Will is the second disposition required for the obtaining of special graces. This disposition is especially necessary when we ask for temporal favors, for we cannot be certain whether they are conducive to our salvation or not.

PRAYER
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, O Virgin most pure and Mother of the Word Incarnate, you are the dispenser of all graces and the refuge of poor sinners. With lively faith and unbounded confidence we have recourse to your maternal love and we beg you to obtain from your Divine Son the favors we now implore (here name the special favor desired). With filial trust we place our hearts under your motherly care beseeching you to obtain for us the all-important grace of perfect conformity to God's Will, and, O Mary, show yourself to be OUR LADY OF PROMPT SUCCOR, especially at the hour of our death. Amen.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Three times.)

DAY THREE
A profound respect for the exalted dignity and sublime prerogatives of Mary is an excellent means to draw down upon us Heaven's choicest blessings.

PRAYER
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, O Mary Immaculate, you are the model of all virtues, the path by which we go to Jesus, the mysterious channel through which divine favors are imparted to us. You have such power over the Heart of Jesus, hasten to our assistance and obtain our earnest request (here name the favor desired). In you, O Mary, we put our trust, let it not be said that our hopes have been frustrated. O Mother most chaste, be our strength against temptation, our help in danger, our consolation in sorrow, but especially be OUR LADY OF PROMPT SUCCOR at the hour of our death. Amen. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Three times.)

DAY FOUR
A filial eagerness in striving to fathom the treasures of holiness contained in the heart of Mary, the most loving and lovable of mothers, is another means of obtaining Our Lady's special protection.

PRAYER
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, living temple of the Holy Spirit and Queen of Heaven and earth, behold us prostrate at your feet to offer you the filial homage of our hearts, to thank you for the innumerable favors you have obtained for us, and to implore, through your all-powerful intercession, the graces we need, especially (here specify the favor desired). O Mary, be truly to us "Mary," that is, our shield against the darts of temptation, our solace in the midst of trials and afflictions, our firm hope, sweet consolation, and PROMPT SUCCOR at the hour of our death. Amen.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Three times.)

DAY FIVE
One of the surest means to acquire a special right to the protection of Mary is to keep ourselves in the state of grace and endeavor to please her by imitating her virtues.

PRAYER
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Virgin most powerful and Mirror of Justice, who offered yourself totally to God for the perfect accomplishment of His Holy Will, make us generous in sacrifice. We have recourse to you to obtain the graces we need, especially (here name the favor desired). O Mary, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, heavenly protectress of souls devoted to your Divine Son, deign to bless us each day of our mortal pilgrimage, cast upon us your eyes of mercy, and after our exile, show unto us Jesus, your Son and our Brother. Amen.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Three times.)

DAY SIX
A tender love for Mary is another efficacious means of obtaining her favors. Since love can be requited only by love, what should not be our sentiments of filial affection for so generous and loving a Mother?

PRAYER
O Mary, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, bright Star of the Sea shining upon life's stormy ocean, we implore your speedy help especially to obtain (here specify the desired favor). Shining Star of our tempest-tossed souls, lovingly guide us among temptation's heaving billows and treacherous shoals, and lead us safely into eternity's peaceful harbor. O sweetest of mothers, we seek your PROMPT SUCCOR now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Three times.)

DAY SEVEN
Mary's love for us is tender and generous. Our love for her should be characterized by deep gratitude, filial confidence, and ardent zeal. We should endeavor, by good example and the spirit of sacrifice, to propagate devotion to her under her sweet title of PROMPT SUCCOR.

PRAYER
O Mary, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, whose protection is so powerful and whose help is so prompt and efficacious, we come to lay at your feet all our cares and sorrows, to place into your hands all our hopes, to entrust to you all our interest both spiritual and temporal. Deign, O Most Holy Virgin, to assist us and obtain the graces we now ask, especially (here mention the favor desired). O Mother of PROMPT SUCCOR, close not your ears to our earnest supplications; rather hasten to our help now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Three times.)

DAY EIGHT
Confidence is an excellent and necessary means for obtaining Mary's protection. Our Lady of Prompt Succor will bestow favors upon us in proportion to our filial trust in her all-powerful intercession.

PRAYER
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, sanctuary of every virtue, who was chosen among all women to be the Mother of our Redeemer, be our advocate and protectress. To you do we raise our hearts and hands imploring your powerful intercession to obtain the favors we ask, especially (here mention the favor desired). Assist us by your mediation, O Mary, that your Divine Son may shower His blessings upon us now and at the moment of our death. Amen.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Three times.)

DAY NINE
Mary became our Mother on Calvary's crest. We are the children of her tears and sorrows. On this last day of our novena, let us take the resolution ever to foster a true and tender devotion to our Immaculate Mother of Prompt Succor, to cast all our cares and anxieties into her maternal heart. Our confidence will not remain unrewarded.

PRAYER
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Queen of the Universe and Sovereign full of kindness, you are the advocate of sinners, a haven of safety to the shipwrecked, the health of the sick and infirm, the consolation of the afflicted, the refuge and salvation of all on earth. O Mary, grant us, we beseech you, the help of your prayers to obtain the graces we implore, and in particular (here name the favor desired). Let your maternal heart be touched by our misery; hasten to our assistance and be to us, now and at the hour of our death, OUR LADY OF PROMPT SUCCOR. Amen.
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. (Three times.)