For the Feast of the Annunciation

Normally the feast of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25, but since it fell on Palm Sunday this year, the feast was transferred to Monday, April 9.  There are a few common prayers to recite in our Lady's honor on this important feast, including the Litany of Loreto and the Ave Maria.  A lesser known devotion to pray on the feast of the Annunciation is the "Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary."  This prayer is a chaplet based on St. John's vision of our Lady in Revelations, honoring the 12 stars in our Lady's crown as they symbolize her motherhood and queenship.

The oldest form of praying the chaplet is simply the recitation of 1 Pater, 4 Aves, and 1 Glory Be, repeated three times to honor Mary's virtues of excellence, power and goodness.  Much loved by the holy St. Louis de Montfort, this saint included additional prayers to the chaplet.  He recommended its recitation to all who strove to serve Jesus through Mary.  The following form is that composed by St. Louis de Montfort.  

Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle winthin them the fire of Thy love!

V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit dost instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant us by this same Spirit to relish what is right and ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

First Crown: The Crown of Excellence

To honor the Divine Maternity of the Blessed Virgin, her ineffable Virginity, her purity without stain and her innumerable virtues:

**Recite one Pater; Recite One Ave
Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, who didst bear the Lord, the Creator of the world; thou didst give birth to Him Who made thee, and remainest a Virgin forever. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

**Recite One Ave
O holy and immaculate Virgin, I know not with what praise to extol thee, since thou didst bear in thy womb the very One Whom the Heavens cannot contain. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

**Recite One Ave
Thou are all fair, O Virgin Mary, and there is no stain in thee.  Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

**Recite One Ave
Thy virtues, O Virgin, surpass the stars in number.  Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
**Recite a Glory Be

Second Crown: The Crown of Power

To honor the royalty of the Blessed Virgin, her magnificence, her universal mediation, and the strength of her rule:

**Recite one Pater; Recite One Ave
Glory be to thee, O Empress of the world! Bring us with thee to the joys of Heaven. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

**Recite One Ave
Glory be to thee, O treasure house of the Lord's graces! Grant us a share in thy riches. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

**Recite One Ave
Glory be to thee, O Mediatrix between God and man! Through thee may the Almighty be favorable to us. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

**Recite One Ave
Glory be to thee who destroyest heresies and crushest demons! Be thou our loving guide. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
**Recite a Glory Be

Third Crown: The Crown of Goodness

To honor the mercy of the Blessed Virgin toward sinners, the poor, the just, and the dying:

**Recite one Pater; Recite One Ave
Glory be to thee, O refuge of sinners! Intercede for us with God.  Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

**Recite One Ave
Glory be to thee, O Mother of orphans! Render the Almighty favorable to us. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!

**Recite One Ave
Glory be to thee, O joy of the just! Lead us with thee to the joys of Heaven. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary;
Rejoice a thousand times!

**Recite One Ave
Glory be to thee who are ever ready to assist us in life and death! Lead us with thee to the kingdom of Heaven! Rejoice, O Virgin Mary; Rejoice a thousand times!
**Recite a Glory Be

**Concluding Prayer
Let Us Pray. Hail, Mary, Daughter of God the Father; Hail, Mary, Mother of God the Son; Hail, Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost; Hail, Mary, Temple of the most Holy Trinity; Hail, Mary, my Mistress, my treasure, my joy, Queen of my heart; my Mother, my life, my sweetness, my dearest hope ---- yea, my heart and my soul! I am all thine and all that I have is Thine, O Virgin blessed above all things! Let thy soul be in me to magnify the Lord; let thy spirit be in me to rejoice in God. Set thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon my heart, that in thee and through thee I may be found faithful to God. Receive me, O gracious Virgin, among those whom thou lovest and teachest, whom thou leadest, nourishest and protectest as thy children. Grant that for love of thee I may despise all earthly consolations and ever cling to those of Heaven until, through thee, His faithful spouse, Jesus Christ thy Son be formed in me for the glory of the Father. Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Novena for Impossible Requests

The Novena for Impossible Requests, sometimes called the Annunciation Novena, begins on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25th) and ends nine months later, on Christmas Day (December 25th), honoring the nine months Jesus was in the womb of our Lady.  Traditionally, one prays this novena every day during the nine months for three personal requests.

+                    +                    +

Novena for Impossible Requests

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

--Pray for us, most holy mother of God.
--That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Virgin of the Incarnation, a thousand times we greet thee, a thousand times we praise thee for thy joy you had when God was incarnated in you. Because you are so powerful a Virgin and Mother of God, grant what we ask of thee for the love of God.
(Here state your first request.)

***Repeat the above prayers and then state your second request, repeat once more and state your third request.

Conclude by praying the following prayers one time:
Remember, O most Gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my mother. To thee do I cry, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.  Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

Blessed and praised be the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, in Heaven, on earth and everywhere.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+

Novena for the Solemnity of the Annunciation on March 25

On March 25 Holy Mother Church celebrates the feast of the Solemnity of the Annunciation.  As we remember in the first joyful mystery of the Holy Rosary, this feast honors that moment when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, greeting her, "Hail full of grace!  Blessed art thou among women."  He then related that God wanted her to be the mother of His Son.  Mary, hearing the angel's message of God's will for her, to be the mother of His Son and remain a virgin, humbly responds, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  Be it done to me according to thy word."  It was at that moment, through the power of the Holy Ghost, the Incarnation occurred.  With Mary's complete trust in God and her simple yes to Him, the Son of God became Man to redeem fallen mankind. This mystery is in contrast to the message given by a fallen angel, Lucifer, to Eve.  His words were a message of deceit and hate, not of God, and Eve's response was one of disobedience.  Let us remember these two scenes throughout this Lent, but especially ponder on the beautiful vision of the Annunciation.  May we hear God's Word to us and answer, not as Eve, but as the Blessed Virgin Mary did, a simple yes, remaining in grace and virtue.  To honor our Lady on the Solemnity of the Annunciation and ask for her help in our spiritual life, a fitting devotion to pray is the following novena.  The novena is prayed from March 17 to March 25.

Novena in preparation of the Annunciation

I greet you, Ever-blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Throne of Grace, miracle of Almighty Power!  I greet you, Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity and Queen of the Universe, Mother of Mercy and refuge of sinners!  Most loving Mother, attracted by your beauty and sweetness, and by your tender compassion, I confidently turn to you, miserable as I am, and beg of you to obtain for me from your dear Son the favor I request in this novena:


(Mention your request).  Obtain for me also, Queen of heaven, the most lively contrition for my many sins and the grace to imitate closely those virtues which you practiced so faithfully, especially humility, purity, and obedience.  Above all, I beg you to be my Mother and Protectress, to receive me into the number of your devoted children, and to guide me from your high throne of glory.  Do not neglect my petitions, Mother of Mercy!  Have pity on me and do not abandon me during life or at the moment of my death.  Amen.