gthen the
weak, pray for the people, plead for the clergy, intercede for the
devout female sex. Let all who have recourse to thee experience the
efficacy of thy help!"--HOLY CHURCH.

Rules for the Proper Observance of Novenas

_By St. Alphonsus Liguori_

1. THE soul must be in the state of grace; for the devotion of a sinful
heart pleases neither God nor the saints.

2. We must persevere, that is, the prayers for each day of the novena
must never be omitted.

3. If possible, we should visit a church every day, and there implore
the favor we desire.

4. Every day we ought to perform certain specified acts of exterior
self-denial and interior mortification, in order to prepare us thereby
for the reception of grace.

5. It is most important that we receive holy communion when making a
novena. Therefore prepare yourself well for it.

6. After obtaining the desired grace for which the novena was made, do
not omit to return thanks to God and to the saint through whose
intercession your prayers were heard.

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.

Introduction

Mary, the Help of Christians

NO CATHOLIC denies that Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only mediator
through whose merits we became reconciled to God. Nevertheless, it is a
doctrine of our faith that God willingly grants us grace if the saints,
and especially the Blessed Virgin Mary, the queen of saints, intercede
for us. If the saints, during their lif