There is no true Catholic who does not know that the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin Mary is a most powerful method of obtaining benefits and favours from the Majesty of God; since, as this Holy Queen is really and truly the Mother of God, Her dear Son will not deny Her any thing which She asks of Him. For this reason, Christian piety has discovered many ways of honouring this dear Lady, so that by Her powerful intercession She may obtain for us help in our necessities, consolation in our afflictions, and the fulfilment of any just desires. And the faithful, experiencing the power of Her intercession with God in the graces they constantly receive through Her, recognise Her as their Mother, and as such venerate and love Her. But above all, the Carmelites and those who wear the Holy Scapular ought to love this Blessed Virgin, for She enriched them with this singular privilege, so that by it they might be known and distinguished as Her children, and particularly under Her protection; confirming this favour by continual and great prodigies and miracles, which have been and still are experienced. And so that they may shew their love and gratitude towards this great Queen and most loving Mother, as also to implore Her especial assistance to obtain what they desire, this Novena has been written, in which Her most extraordinary favours are commemorated, and which is to be performed according to the following directions.
Directions for performing this Novena.
1.) The first thing to be remarked is, that this Novena may be made at any time of the year, either on nine consecutive days or on nine consecutive Saturdays (this day being chosen as consecrated to the Mother of God); but the proper time for performing it is in the month of July, beginning it on the eighth of July, and ending it on the sixteenth day of that month, which is the Feast of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel; or beginning it on the fifteenth--that is, on the eve of the Feast,--and concluding it on the twenty-third, which is the last day of the Octave.
2.) The second is, that this Novena may be said in the person's own house before an image or picture of our Lady of Mount Carmel; but the best place to say it in is the church, before an altar of the Blessed Virgin, if there be one, or if not, a picture or medal may be used. And the Novena is to be said kneeling, if illness or any other just cause does not prevent.
3.) The third is, that the person who makes the Novena is to confess and communicate on the first day of the Novena if possible, or at least on some day during the course of it; and that, in order to be better prepared to recite this Novena, they are to make very devoutly the acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, as contained in the first prayer, in order to purify the soul to praise God and the Holy Virgin: for if a soul full of failings and imperfections were to offer to God and our Lady prayers and praises, it would be like presenting delicious viands in an unclean vessel, so that they could not be eaten; and it would also be well to confess and communicate on the last day of the Novena.
4.) The fourth is, that on the first day of the Novena, the person who performs it is to determine for what end or intention he wishes to make it,--that is, what he desires to obtain from God by the intercession of His Holy Mother; and he is to ask it with great humility and entire resignation to the will of God, only desiring it if it be for the greater glory of His Divine Majesty and good of his own soul; and also he is to be disposed, if he does not obtain what he asks, to be as satisfied as if God had granted his desire, preferring the Divine will and pleasure to his own.
5.) The fifth remark is, that any person who cannot read or hear the Novena read, can make it by saying every day five Salve Reginas and five Ave Marias, saying first an act of contrition, and observing as far as possible the directions here given.
6.) The sixth and last is, that the person who makes the Novena ought to offer to God and the Blessed Virgin some act of virtue every day during the Novena: as giving alms, hearing Mass, a short time of mental prayer, frequent acts of faith, hope, charity, and contrition, as also of conformity with the holy will of God. And he ought to have great confidence, through the intercession of the Holy Virgin, that he will obtain from the Majesty of God what he asks in this Novena, if it be for the good of his soul.--pages 3 - 7
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