Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Novena · 9 days
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is honored through a beloved icon, written in the Byzantine tradition and venerated for centuries, in which Mary holds the child Jesus while two angels show him the cross and nails of his coming passion. The child clasps his mother's hand, and Mary turns her gaze toward us, inviting all who look upon her to draw near. Under this title the faithful seek her motherly intercession in moments of fear, illness, family struggle, financial hardship, and seasons when help feels far away. She is the mother who, having stood by her Son, now stands by us, never weary of bringing our needs before God.
A novena is simply nine days of prayer, a humble path of trust and perseverance modeled on the apostles who prayed with Mary awaiting the Holy Spirit. It is not a magic formula and never compels God; rather, it forms our hearts to wait, to hope, and to remain faithful. As you pray these nine days, let Mary accompany you. She does not replace God, who alone is the source of every grace, but she prays with you and for you, gently leading you closer to her Son.
Day 1 · Turning to Our Mother
In the icon, Mary turns her face toward us even as the child Jesus rests in her arms. She is never too busy to notice those who come to her. Today, simply begin. You do not need perfect words or a settled heart, only the willingness to turn toward the One who loves you. Let this first day be an honest step out of isolation and into the company of a mother who waits.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, on this first day I turn to you as a child turns to a mother. You see what weighs on me, and you do not look away. Carry my heart with yours as you draw near to your Son, and ask him to meet me where I am.
Father, you gave us Mary as a sign of your nearness. Through her prayers, open my heart to trust that you have already begun to help me. You alone are the source of every good; teach me to seek you above all.
In the silence of your heart, bring your intention before God.
Amen.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Day 2 · Trusting in God's Care
The Christ child in the icon grips his mother's hand, a small gesture of total trust. Mary teaches us that same childlike confidence. Our worries do not vanish overnight, but trust is a decision we renew each morning. Today, name one fear you have been carrying alone and place it, deliberately, into God's hands. Mary will help you loosen your grip and rest in his care.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, you held your Son through uncertainty and never lost faith in the Father's love. Pray for me, that I may trust as you trusted, even when the road ahead is hidden from me.
Lord, you know my anxious thoughts before I speak them. I bring you the fear I have tried to manage on my own. Strengthen my confidence in your goodness, and remind me that nothing I face is beyond your care.
In the silence of your heart, bring your intention before God.
Amen.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Day 3 · Hope in Hard Times
The angels in the icon hold the instruments of the passion, a reminder that Mary knew suffering intimately. She does not promise a life without trials; she offers hope in the midst of them. Hope is not denial. It is the quiet certainty that God is present even in darkness. Whatever difficulty you face today, let Mary remind you that you are not abandoned in it.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, you stood firm when sorrow pierced your heart. Pray for me in my own hard season, that I may not be overcome by discouragement but hold fast to hope.
Father of mercies, you are close to the brokenhearted. Pour your hope into me, not as an escape from my struggle but as light within it. Let me believe that you are working, even now, for my good.
In the silence of your heart, bring your intention before God.
Amen.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Day 4 · Bringing My Burdens
Mary's gaze in the icon is gentle and unhurried, as if to say there is room here for whatever you carry. So often we hesitate to name our deepest needs, even to God. Today, be specific. Lay down the burden you have been too tired or too ashamed to mention. A mother does not flinch at her child's troubles, and neither does God turn away from yours.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, you welcomed every sorrow without turning away. Take the burden I name today and carry it with me to your Son, asking him to lift what I cannot lift alone.
Lord, you invite the weary to come to you and find rest. I bring you my heaviness, my unfinished worries, the things I cannot fix. Receive them, and grant me the relief that comes from trusting you with all of it.
In the silence of your heart, bring your intention before God.
Amen.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Day 5 · Healing of Heart and Body
Through this title, countless people have sought Mary's intercession for healing, whether of body, mind, or relationships. She is not a healer apart from God; she brings our need before the Lord, who alone restores. Healing often unfolds slowly and in ways we do not expect. Today, ask honestly for the healing you long for, and trust the One who knows what you truly need.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, you cared for your Son with a mother's tenderness. Intercede for me and for those I love who are hurting, asking God to bring healing to body, mind, and heart.
Lord, you are the physician of soul and body. I place before you the wound I carry and the people who suffer. Heal what can be healed, give peace where healing is slow, and let me find you present in every part of it.
In the silence of your heart, bring your intention before God.
Amen.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Day 6 · Surrendering My Will
Mary's whole life can be summed up in her words: let it be done to me according to your word. Surrender is not weakness or resignation; it is the freedom of trusting that God's will is born of love. Today, practice releasing your tight grip on outcomes. Ask Mary to help you pray, as she did, with open hands rather than clenched fists.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, you said yes to God without knowing all that it would ask of you. Pray for me, that I may surrender my plans and my fears into the Father's hands as you did.
Father, your will is always for my good, even when I cannot see it. I lay down my insistence on having things my way. Form in me a heart that says yes to you, trusting that what you ask, you also make possible.
In the silence of your heart, bring your intention before God.
Amen.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Day 7 · Patience and Perseverance
A novena itself teaches perseverance, the patient return to prayer day after day. Mary persevered through years of waiting, through the long road to Calvary, through silence and uncertainty. When answers are slow, we are tempted to give up. Today, recommit to staying faithful. The God who began a good work in you does not abandon it halfway.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, you waited and watched in patience, never abandoning your trust in God. Pray for me, that I may persevere in faith when answers are slow and the way seems long.
Lord, you are never late, though your timing is not mine. Give me patience to keep walking with you, and the perseverance to keep praying even when I see no change. Let my waiting deepen, not weaken, my faith.
In the silence of your heart, bring your intention before God.
Amen.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Day 8 · Walking with Others
Mary's help is never only for herself; she points always toward her Son and toward our neighbor. As we receive comfort, we are called to become a source of comfort for others. Think today of someone carrying a burden like your own. A word of encouragement, a prayer offered for them, a small act of kindness, can make you an answer to someone else's novena.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, you brought help and joy wherever you went, hastening to serve Elizabeth in her need. Pray for me, that the comfort I receive may overflow into care for those around me.
Lord, you have helped me through the hands and hearts of others. Make me attentive to those who suffer, and use me to bring your love to them. Let my prayer bear fruit in compassion, not only in my own peace.
In the silence of your heart, bring your intention before God.
Amen.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Day 9 · Entrusting All to God
On this final day, we gather everything from these nine days and place it where it belongs: in the hands of God. Mary's role has been to walk beside us and lead us to her Son. Now we entrust our intentions to the Father with confidence, knowing that whether the answer is yes, not yet, or something better than we imagined, his love does not fail. Go forward in peace.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, you have accompanied me through these nine days, never tiring of bringing my needs to your Son. Pray for me still, that I may live each day entrusting all things to God with confidence and peace.
Lord, on this last day I place my whole intention in your hands. You have heard me; you know what is best. Whatever you grant, let me receive it as a gift from your fatherly love, and let me always remember that from you alone comes every grace.
In the silence of your heart, bring your intention before God.
Amen.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of these nine days and for the loving companionship of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who has walked beside us, praying with us and for us, and leading us ever closer to your Son. We do not thank her in place of you, for you alone are the source of every grace; we thank you for giving us such a mother and such an intercessor.
Grant, we pray, that we may persevere in faith when the road is long, in hope when our hearts grow weary, and in love when we are tempted toward ourselves alone. Let what we have begun in these days continue in the ordinary moments to come, so that our trust in you may grow stronger with each passing day.
Into your hands we now entrust every intention we have carried through this novena, the spoken and the unspoken, the answered and the still-waiting. We surrender them to your wisdom and your mercy, confident that your love will provide what is truly good. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and through Christ our Lord, hear us. Amen.
